Before the Fall
by Wylis
Summary: Forced to choose between herself or the safety of another, Sookie will give up everything, can she ever find happiness again? Set post Dead in the Family
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I own nothing..._

"UGGGG where on God's green earth did I put them?" I scream out at the top of my lungs while sifting through my very small jewelry box. Nothing on my dresser seems to have an answer for me and so I continue to open drawers and rummage through the contents in a vain attempt to find my gold hoop earrings. I should just forget the earrings, I'm running late, and I need to be at Merlotte's in like 25 minutes, but for some reason once I start looking for them I can't stop. I'm not usually this disorganized, but day shifts at Merlotte's and keeping vampire hours to spend time with Eric is starting to melt my brain.

Just when I feel like I might overturn the whole dresser in some rediculous beserker rage, a la my Viking Honey, the phone rings. Saved from my own insanity! I run all the way to the kitchen chanting "don't hang up, don't hang up, don't hang up," as though this will somehow impact the decision of the person on the other end to let it ring just a few more times.

"Hello," I speak into the phone trying to catch my breath at the same time.

"Sookie? This is Remy Savoy." Despite my being late and out of breath I crack a smile when I hear his voice. We've been talking about having Hunter come over for another get together for a while now and I've been really looking forward to it.

"Hi Remy, how are you? How's Hunter?" I ask. Remy isn't usually the most talkative person I know- well not that I know him extremely well- but there seems an overly long pause before he continues on in a strangely flat voice.

"Sookie, I just wanted to let you know that I received a job offer in Texas and Hunter and I are going to be moving there within the week. I'm really grateful for all you done for him, but of course it's not really going to be possible for you to see him much anymore." I feel my smile fall and a pain start to form in my heart. I haven't spent much time with Hunter but in the time we have had together I've become very, very fond of him.

I've always known that I would never have a child of my own. Even if I wasn't in love with a vampire, Hunter is living proof of why children are a no no for me. Seeing how hard it is for him to deal with the voices, and remembering how hard it was for me before Bill taught me how to sheild my mind, how hard it can still be when I'm tired or sick, well I wouldn't do that intentionally to anyone. I had hoped that helping Hunter cope with his telepathy and spending time with him would help fulfill some of these maternal longings. Oddly enough, knowing that you shouldn't have children, and repeatedly listing all the many reasons why they're a bad idea, doesn't actually stop you from wanting to have them. To find out that now I won't even get to be an "Aunt", well it hurts, deeply. It's like a door that had been open just a crack being finally shut and locked.

"Oh Remy... congratulations on you're new job. Of course I understand you have to go where you can make the best life for Hunter. But I hope that I can still have contact with him. He'll need help, and honestly the distance doesn't mean anything to me, we can still work something out if your willing?" I throw it out there reaching for one last chance to be a part of this little boy's life and I actually feel it coming just a moment before Remy squashes this last hope under his shoe. I guess that would be the window shutting too.

"Thanks Sookie, we'll have to see. Anyway I have to get going now." With that he hangs up without even saying goodbye. I stand in my kitchen for a few minutes longer. I'm now officially late for work, but somehow it doesn't matter anymore, neither do the hiding gold earrings, or well... anything really right now. I feel tears stinging my eyes. One slips out, falls down my cheek, and lands on the counter top below me. I didn't really realize how much I was counting on being even a small part of Hunter's life until just now. I cry because I know I probably will not see him much or maybe even ever again, but in some way I know I'm also crying because young and healthy as I am, there isn't a single chance that I will be seeing any little Sookies or little Erics to take his place. Again I see that door in my mind slamming tightly shut.

I shake myself out of my stupor, grab my keys, and head out to my car. Gran always said that it was the worst kind of sin to whine about what you don't have and ignore the blessings that you do. I am alive and healthy, I have a roof over my head, a good job waiting for me right now, and best of all a wonderful man. If I must wallow well then I'll do just like that wisest of southern women, after my Gran of course, and think about it tomorrow!

- Two Months Later -

I did think about it tomorrow and for quite a bit afterwards. As I had feared Remy didn't call again. No further goodbyes, not even a forwarding address or phone number. I cried a few more times about it, and put Eric off with endless -I don't want to talk about its, when he would gently ask me what was wrong, but in the end I knew that it was pretty pointless to torture myself like this. It was what it was and I would just have to deal.

I was determined that I would do just as I had originally decided, and count my blessings not my losses. To that end I was in a very happy mood when I heard a key in the lock of the front door, announcing that my Viking Honey had arrived. I finished rinsing my dinner dishes and dried my hands on the kitchen towel just as I heard him walk over the threshold.

"Lover, I'm home." I hear the laughter in his voice, and I smile wide and run from the kitchen. Eric closes the door behind him and turns just in time to catch me in his arms. He lifts me off the ground so that we're face to face, my arms going around his neck and my legs going around his waist. "There's my girl." He says smiling that supremely joyful smile that makes me so happy and so horny all at once.

"Hey Honey, I've been waiting for you." We kiss right there in front of the door for a good five minutes and I'm just about to suggest that Eric move us into the bedroom when he disengages his lips from mine. He's reduced me to such a puddle of goo, mentally and physically, that it takes me a moment to realize that he's not kissing me anymore. When I can think again I give him a puzzled look.

"Is something wrong?" He smiles a little warily, and gives me one more peck on the lips before setting me down on legs I'm not so sure are stable. Once we're both convinced I won't just fall over he runs his hand through his hair and gives an unnecessary sigh.

"Not wrong Lover, but before we get on with our evening we need to sit down and talk a little...business." I feel a completely necessary sigh welling up in me as I turn around and lead us to the kitchen. Gran always did what needed doing at the kitchen table. As I sit there now though, I think that it's a great deal harder to think of this table as "for business" when I remember all of the very "for pleasure" things that Eric and I have done on it. But then again if I want a neutral spot for our discussion we'll have to walk all the way over to Bill's house.

"Okay what's up?" Eric sighs again, and I can feel through the bond that he's bracing for a fight. Great.

"I recieved a call from Sandy Seacrest upon rising this evening. It seems that in addition to her other Girl Friday duties she also plays events coordinator for DeCastro. His Majesty is having a ball in Nevada in one week to commemorate the one year anniversary of his...ascension...to the thrones of Louisanna and Arkansas." Eric says that last as though I just shoved a whole bulb of garlic in this mouth. "As one of DeCastro's sherriffs I am required to attend. As a famed telepath, my bonded, and my pledged your presense has also been requested." He pauses for a moment and then says whatever it is that I can tell he thinks will start a fight. "And by requested Lover, I mean demanded. I cannot go without you or it will be bad for both of us." Yep, when the man's right the man is right, this is gonna start a fight.

"Bad for both of us, as in, bad because you can't control your human, your pet, your peice of property? Bad like that?" I'm up out of my seat like a shot. "Jesus Christ Shepard of Judea I'm sick of this garbage Eric. I'm a goddamn person not a dog, you can't just whistle and have me come. I have a life, a job, bills to pay, I can't just up and leave every time some bigshot vampire snaps his fingers. And frankly I don't owe your damn Vampire King squat! In fact, the way I see it, he owes me for saving him from rape, torture, and final death at the hands of a very large, very enraged, and very stupid Saxon." By this time I'm fairly yelling and the anger I'm feeling seems to be growing exponentially. Suddenly, just as I'm about to throw something, I realize that my anger is this bad because Eric is angry too. We're feeding off each other's emotions again. In other situations this is the not so bad part of our bond. When we're in bed for instance, this looping effect fuels some of the most outragiously,mindblowingly, fantastic sex I'm sure anyone in the history of the world has ever had, right now though, it's definitely not anywhere near as enjoyable as that. Eric takes a deep calming breath and attempts to difuse the situation.

"Sookie calm down. There is no point in our rehashing this arguement. Things are as they are, our goal now should be to keep our heads down and get in and out of Nevada as quickly and quietly as possible." Eric informs me very slowly and deliberately as though explaining a particularly difficult concept to a small child. Yeah, definitely not calming down, not one bit.

"Don't tell me to calm down! I have every right to be upset. Didn't you yourself say the last thing we should do is parade me in front of DeCastro. My GOD, how did I ever get mixed up in all of this vampire shit?" I'm really just ranting for the sake of ranting, trying to expend the anger so that the emotion will simply wear itself out. That would probably work if it was just me by myself, but again that looping thing turns out to have a pretty awful effect on the vampire sharing my emotions with me. Eric is getting keyed up in a major way. Before I can open my mouth to make the situation worse he's in front of me, our bodies not two inches apart.

"I will tell you exactly how you got into this garbage. You're peice of shit cousin, may she rest in peace," he spits sarcastically,"sold you out to her girlfriend before you or I ever met. You're being in this-Vampire Shit- as you call it has nothing to do with me, so kindly stop laying this particular bitchfest at my door. What's more you wouldn't have to worry about taking time off of your job, or paying your bills if you would just quit already and come live with me as I have repeatedly asked you to. You have no need to work, your place is at MY side!" If I were a sane person I would back down at this point. An enraged vampire is a scary, scary thing, and I know personally that for Eric to curse he has to be super enraged. I'm not sane though, never have been if you ask the folks in this town, and so I step one of those two inches closer to Eric, jut out my chin, look him straight in the eye, and make things worse.

"That's really all you want from me isn't it? Just some kept woman who lounges around all day in sexy see through nighties and does nothing but wait for you to wake up so I can give you sex at your beck and call." Eric's eyes widen and his nostrils flare. That last inch between us evaporates as Eric gets right in my face.

"Yes, that's exactly what I want, couldn't you tell? Wasn't it obvious by the way I come running to you every spare moment I can find, taking the scraps of your free time that you'll give me while you childishly bemoan your lot in life, reject our bond, deny our marriage, and continue to lie to yourself and to me about the depth of your feelings for me, that I want nothing but a sex toy. Yes, how entirely repugnant of me to want to have the woman I love at my side, just like EVERY OTHER man on this planet. Do I really need to remind you that if all I want is some golddigger to fuck at my leisure, I don't have to waste the time driving to Bon Temps to find one."

I just stand there utterly shocked for a moment. Part of me, the Stackhouse part of me, wants to keep fighting for the sake of winning the argument. But the rest of me realizes that this is quickly going from "lover's tiff" to a knock down drag out break up fight, and I DO NOT want that to happen. I can almost hear my Gran telling me to breath.

As much as I hate the world of vampire politics that I can't seem to get out of. As much as these intensly powerful and inhuman creatures, ones like Philipe DeCastro and Victor Madden, scare me, the vampire standing in front of me is the love of my life. I have hurt him many, many times since Hallow's curse ended, and apparently I continue to do it even now. But I knew the moment Eric's maker announced with such arrogance and such conviction that I would never be able to keep him, that keeping him was exactly what I wanted to do. Apparently I forgot to tell Eric that though. I take one of those calming deep breaths Eric is so fond of and prepare to injest a little humble pie.

"You're right. I'm sorry, that was entirely uncalled for on my part. I know I mean more to you than that, and I said it just to get a reaction." If Eric could pass out from shock I think he'd be on the floor right now. The look on his face is priceless and if we didn't really need to talk about other things I might laugh at him, and then kiss him, and then take him on the "for business" kitchen table. "Eric I really did not mean to start this argument or say any of those things to you, but I'm scared. You told me yourself that DeCastro wanted to force me to work for him in Vegas. What if we get there and he doesn't let me go?" I look up at Eric just the way I used to look up at my dad when I was a little girl and beg him to reassure me that there were no monsters under my bed. At this particular moment I have a very profound realization.

I used to yearn, even long after my father was dead and I was grown, to feel his strong arms holding me tight and reassuring me, and I realize now that desire has been transformed. When I'm scared or sad or insecure it's Eric's arms that I want around me now, telling me that everything will be fine. I never felt that with Bill or Quinn. I guess it's more proof of just how much I love him, how much I know we're right for each other. One of these days I'm going to have to get around to actually saying all these things to him, but right now we have some more pressing things to work out.

"Lover I know that you are scared. But I swear to you that you have no need to be. You are my blood bonded and my pledged. These ceremonies are sacred to my kind. DeCastro may want you, but he cannot take you unless it is of your own free will." As if he can read my thoughts instead of just my emotions, Eric takes me into his arms and tilts my chin up to look at him. "I take it that it is your will to stay here in your home and remain with me?" Wow, that question makes my heart all melty.

"Yes. I want to stay here and live my life, and be with you." Short, sweet, and to the point but it gets the desired results. Eric smiles that smile again, and suddenly I feel through the bond that we're both happy and horny once again.

"Good. Then we will attend his- ascension celebration- and return as quickly as possible." I nod my head to show that, now that we're all being adults again, I understand he's right and I agree. "Perfect, now I believe we had other things planned for tonight." Eric's happy smile goes to lascivious leer and I have to say it makes me all sorts a giddy.

"I was wondering if you could help me with some...business over on the table?" It's the last thing we say for a long, long time.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I own nothing..._

A week later we're in the air and winging our way to Las Vegas. Eric sits next to me and Pam accross the aisle from us as the Captain puts on the fasten seat belt sign and tells us that we'll be landing in just a few minutes.

"Have you ever been to Vegas before Sookie?" Pam asks. I feel my eyebrow reaching sky high.

"Why Pam, are we going to make small talk? Doesn't that go against some sacred vampire code or something?" Pam chuckles just a little bit and then replies.

"Yes, well it's been an exceptionally boring flight, it's either small talk with the telepath or drain a stewardess..."

"Flight attendant," I correct her.

"... or drain a _**flight attendant **_on the beverage cart. I thought you would be better pleased with option one. However if you don't want to make small talk I would be better pleased with option two." She gives me a wide smile fangs fully extended. I'd laugh but I know she's serious.

"No, no option one works for me. In answer to your question no, I've never been to Vegas before. I'm looking forward to staying on the strip."

"DeCastro's casino is supposed to be quite nice. Still I wish we could have stayed at the Belagio, the shopping there is utterly superb..." At this Eric cuts her off midsentance.

"Pam, show me your wallet." Pam raises her eyebrow at Eric, but something about how it's raised tells me that she's not entirely suprised by his request, more like she's feigning suprise.

"Why ever would you want to see my wallet? Do you need money Eric?" He scowls and holds out his hand.

"Pam give me your wallet." Pam huffs in aggrivation and pulls her wallet out of what she told me earlier was a "Birkin Bag". According to Pam their so hard to get it's not a crime to drain someone for one. I'm seriously hoping that time she wasn't serious. Eric snatches the wallet from Pam faster than my eyes can see and opens it. After rummaging around for a few seconds he finds what he's looking for if the change compartment.

"Pamela really, you're going to need to get far more creative if you intend to actually pull this off." At first I'm stumped as to what they could be talking about but then I see Eric pull three credit cards out, a Gold Mastercard, a Platnium Visa, and a Black Am Ex, when I look closer I see the name Eric Northman printed on all three. I look over at Pam who is feigning a pout. Apparently this is just one of the many little games they play to keep existence from getting boring.

"Well you didn't think of it until just now, I even had to drop a hint for you. I have never heard of vampires suffering from senility but really you are rather older than most. Maybe it's just an unstudied phenomena." Pam laughs softly to herself and Eric's scowl gets a little deeper. This back and forth could go on for hours but luckily the Captain tells us that we are landing and the plane dips down, ending all conversation. Well actually I end all conversation by gripping Eric's arm as though it were a lifesaver and squeezing my eyes shut.

Two baggage claims and an hour and half later we're all checked in and Pam has bid Eric and I good night.

"So what's the agenda for the next few days?" I ask going over to the window and looking out. We're on the 54th floor so I get a pretty spectacular look at the strip below. Eric comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me.

"We have tonight all to ourselves. Tomorrow we must of course attend the ball, and then Sunday we will meet with DeCastro shortly for a personal farewell, and we're back home before dawn on Monday morning." I nod my head.

"Sounds simple." I say. I can feel myself beginning to worry again, and apparently Eric can too. He turns me around in his arms so that we're face to face and kisses me deeply.

"I meant what I said before Sookie. You are mine and only you can change that now. No one can take you from me." I smile up at him and squeeze him tight.

"Good, because I don't want anyone else." Eric get's the goofiest grin on his face when I say that, and I feel so guilty again for all that I haven't said. I've told him I love him of course, but I haven't ever told him how much. I've never told him that I can no longer imagine myself with anyone else, or that being with him makes me that happiest I've ever been, or that I've come to think of his arms as the safest place in the world. There is so much I haven't said and I don't know why.

I suppose that I could take the easy way out and blame Bill for that. I could say that he hurt me so badly that I've never been able to trust again, but honestly that's just giving Bill to much credit. He might be a part of it, but the problem is bigger than just him. I think that after having all the people I've loved leave me, my parents, my Gran, Bill, and Eric himself after Hallow's curse ended, that over time I've just become scared. I'm terrified to say outloud that I'm happy just in case God, or the fates, or whatever it is that runs the universe takes it as a dare and decides to take my happiness away.

So instead of telling my boyfriend how I feel or letting him tell me, as he's tried to do more than once, I keep us silent. And poor Eric is reduced to smiling as though it's Christmas morning just because I said something that he should already know, should never ever doubt.

I want to work up the courage to say these things to him and now really is the ideal moment, but again I feel that irrational fear, so instead I decide to just show him how much I love him. My hands run up into his hair and I pull him down for another long and wonderful kiss. As our tongues move together I run my hands down and start to carress his chest, his sides, and his wonderful, wonderful backside. I feel Eric's lips smile against mine as his hands reach down and take the hem of my dress lifting it off of me and tossing it to the floor.

Eric takes a step back and runs his eyes up and down my body several times. He smiles and I can see his fangs snick down. I know he loves a good show and so I take the tops of both cups of my bra and push them down so that my breast spring free even though it's still on, and I begin to pinch and twist my nipples gently. I hear Eric moan softly and I smile at him loving the effect we have on each other.

I let one hand wander down over my stomach, into the top of my thong, and start to work myself in a slow lazy rythm. Eric closes the tiny distance between us and goes down on his knees bringing his head level with my sex. He takes my thong and gently lowers it so that he can see fully what I'm doing to myself.

"Lover spead your legs." He says softly. I obey and I hear him inhale sharply as he gets the best view possible of my pleasing myself for him. As I work my nub I feel Eric bring two of his fingers to me and swirl them in my wetness. Then without warning they're inside of me and suddenly we're working me together, my fingers circling my clit and his pumping in and out of my entrance. It feels so wonderful I can barely breath and I have to put the hand that had been playing with my breasts on his shoulder to steady myself.

"Oh God Eric," I moan out and then out of no where my orgasm hits me and I collapse over into his arms. Eric picks me up and carries me to the couch, apparently the bedroom is to far away. He lays me down and within seconds he's on top of me, his clothes having magically disappeared. Eric begins to grind against me, his head going to my neck to lick and suck at the vein there while his hands tear my bra away and squeeze and carress my breasts.

"Lover you can't possibly have any idea what watching you pleasure yourself does to me." His voice is just above a whisper and if I didnt know better I would say he was in pain. His kisses on my neck become harder and more urgent, as do the hands on my breasts and then suddenly he takes me by the hips and flips me over.

In one swift motion Eric is in me as far as he can go and we both let out an ecstatic scream. He starts a hard, rough rythm that makes me claw the couch cushions beneath me and chant his name at an ever increasing volume. God nothing, nothing has ever been like this. No one has ever been so deep or made me feel so full. I could die happy right now. This time my orgasm is no suprise, I see it coming like a freight train through a tunnel, and I scream out Eric's name and God's and god knows what else as it takes me away.

Eric waits only long enough for me to regain my senses before he brings his hands under me, cups my breasts and pulls me upright so that he can sink his fangs into the back of my shoulder. He pinches my nipples just hard enough to cause a little pain and that along with the feeling of him biting my shoulder and thrusting into me from behind causes me to cry out in pleasure as another little orgasm rocks through me. This time Eric is with me and I hear him cry out my name as he takes my blood and gives me his essense in return.

When it's done Eric just holds me against him for a long moment, my back to his chest, his hands still gently squeezing my breasts, as we both come down from the amazing high we've just given each other. Then he gives a throaty chuckle, his voice still rough around the edges from all of the screaming we've done.

"How can you be so perfect?" He asks. I reach back and wrap one arm around his neck and turn my face to nuzzle it into the crook in his shoulder. I want to cry I love him so much. Really it's not him that should be asking that question. Instead of saying so though I just smile and ask him to take me to bed.

After several more wonderful hours Eric falls into his daytime rest and I give his sleeping lips one last long kiss before joining him.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I own nothing..._

Great sex is a wonderful sleep aid and I end up happily snoring next to my vampire for the better part of the day. I wake up at 4:30 just an hour and half before dusk. I hurry to do all of the things that need doing before the "party" tonight, and am just finishing up my room service when Eric rises.

As unpleasant as having to be in Nevada is, in this moment I have to say that getting ready with Eric, as though we're any normal married couple dressing for an evening out together, makes me feel really, really happy. It feels natural and normal to be bussling around each other getting this tie or reaching for that earring, and when we're both done and dressed we just stare at eachother for a few minutes. Eric seems to like my dress and I know that I have absolutely no complaints about being on his arm tonight, or any night really, but especially when he's looking like this. After one last up and down appraisal Eric extends his arm for me to take.

"Shall we go honor his Majesty's ascension?" He asks a sarcastic smile spreading across his face. I laugh a little as our arms intertwine.

"Sounds like a plan!" With that we head out the door, meet Pam by the elevator, and head on down to the ballroom.

I have to say that I'm really very impressed by the way the ballroom is decorated. Considering that this is all for a man who wears a cape as though it were an everyday accessory and not a halloween prop, I'm guessing that Sandy is responsible for the elegance that surrounds us.

All and all the night goes off fairly well. Eric and I enjoy dancing together, just like we always do, he introduces me (as his bonded and pledged- not his telepath) to many of the vampires in DeCastro's power structure, and makes small talk and political banter better than any politician I've ever seen. We even have a pleasant and utterly banal conversation with his Magesty while he's making the rounds and mingling with his guests.

As the night heads towards a close I'm beginning to feel good about everything. It seems pretty clear that I'm here as Eric's "wife" and not as a hot commodity to be snatched away. Just before the party offically breaks up DeCastro takes the stage and thanks all of his guests. A long winded speech about his plans for Louisanna and Arkansas follows and I have to say I tune the whole thing out. But I can feel Eric tensing beside me. It's not that he's worried about anything as much as hearing DeCastro talk as though he's the newly elected governor instead of the leader of a bloody coup that could have left us all dead in it's wake tics Eric off. When DeCastro is done with his little speech we prepare to head out but at the last minute Eric spies a vampire that he needs to talk to.

"Lover, I need to have one more conversation before we retire for the night. Do you need anything before we head back upstairs?" I'm doing pretty well, but honestly I'm a little tired of playing "politician's wife" for the night and so I decide to get a drink while Eric smoozes.

"I'm a little thirsty. I'm going to grab a drink, why don't you meet me out on the balcony when you're done." He nods and we exchange a brief but wonderful kiss before he heads over to do business and I get my drink.

When I step out onto the balcony I'm a little shocked by just how hot it is even in the middle of the night. Louisianna is hot too of course but this is just crazy, I feel like I should peel out of my dress and put on a bathing suit even though it's 3:30 in the morning. I'm just finishing my drink and admiring the lights from the strip again when I hear a voice behind me.

"Long time no see Babe." Ugg, I knew that running into Quinn at a supernatural formal event in Nevada was a good possibility, but honestly the night had gone off so well, especially in comparison to some of my more vivid anxiety filled imaginings, that I kind of thought I'd be spared this particular trial. I plaster my best "Crazy Sookie" smile on my face and turn around.

"Quinn, you're looking well. Is E(E)E running things tonight?" Quinn and I didn't part on the best terms, and I'm still deeply offended by both the things that he said and the concussion that he caused, but I am an adult. I have no intention of being pulled into a dramatic conversation about our past relationship, but I have perfectly pleasant conversations with Bill all the time so I know that I can pull off civil chit chat just fine.

"Yes, DeCastro is always very adamant about having us host his events, and really Sandy is such a control freak she practially takes care of everything, I just provide the people and show up and enjoy the free champange." I hold my glass up to him.

"Well it's very good, I hope you got to enjoy a few of them." I say taking another sip.

"I did, but truthfully I spent most of my night watching you. You and Eric seem to have worked out whatever issues you were having." He says the last with quite a bit of bitterness, and I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't just say good night and go find Eric. Sitting through boring political manuverings has suddenly become preferable to staying and seeing where this conversation will lead, but Quinn is standing in front of the door and so I would have to litterally squeeze by him to get inside.

"Yes, yes we have. I'm very happy." I say hoping to put a road block up in case this conversation is going were I think it is. Quinn let's out a deep sigh and rubs his hand over his bald head.

"I saw, babe, I saw. Well I'm glad for you, if nothing else, I'm glad to see you happy." Wow, I didn't see that statment coming. I smile at him and decide that if he's really being honest than I can more than do my part and have a pleasant conversation with him.

"Thank you Quinn, truly." I say. He smiles at me again and I feel very good at this moment, so much so that I drop my pleasant chit chat facade and actually confide in him. "I have to tell you that I was really worried about coming here. I didn't want to make _**anyone**_ more interested in me and my abilities than they already are, but honestly it's turned out to be quite a nice night, and I'm glad that we got the chance to see each other." Quinn gets a puzzled look on his face.

"You haven't heard then I take it." His tone only implies puzzlement and not concern and so I try not to let my anxiety run away with itself.

"Heard what?"

"Sookie, I don't think that you have anything to worry about here anymore. DeCastro found himself a new telepath about two months ago. I think your in the free and clear." I'm sure that my face betrays my utter shock. Another telepath? It isn't as though we're growing on trees waiting around to be snatched up by any old vampire.

"Really? Who is it? Did Barry decide to leave Texas?" I ask hoping to get Quinn to tell me more.

"No, Barry's still with Stan. I don't really know who this new person is. I met a couple of the weres who guard him during the day while I was helping Sandy prep for the party, but they didn't say much." The way Quinn says this last sets off my alarm bells. I wasn't with Quinn overly long, but something tells me that he knows more than he's saying. I lower my shields just a bit and probe his brain. Were thoughts aren't really clear to me, but I've been able to get a couple of good reads off of Quinn in the past, and sure enough I get a good one now.

He was honest that he doesn't know who the telepath is, but not honest that the weres didn't say much. I get a fuzzy mental image of him talking to the them about the telepath and then a very clear couple of words: "just a boy" says one of them. I reel back in shock at what I've seen in Quinn's mind. He frowns at me.

"Are you okay babe, you look like maybe the alcohol just hit you." He says leaning forward, offering his hand to steady me. Instead of taking it I lean back and grab the balcony rail for balance. Just as I get my feet under me again Eric's form appears behind Quinn's.

"Lover, are you alright?" Eric asks. The question is banal but the tone is not. I know that Eric saw me stagger and that he can feel my utter inner turmoil. He would sever Quinn's head in one swift motion if I gave him the okay right now. Instead I brush past Quinn as nonchalantly as possible and take Eric's arm.

"Just a little dizzy from the champange I think. I'm ready to head up now Honey." I say smiling up and letting him know that everything is okay. He nods and just before he pulls me back into the ballroom I turn to Quinn. "It was nice to see you again Quinn. Have a good night." With that I let Eric usher me back inside and out of the ballroom. When we're safely in the elevator Eric hits the stop button.

"What happened out there Lover, you're an emotional wreck?" Eric is clearly concerned, but there is also a hint of something else in his emotions, something hard to define but I think it's...insecurity. I want desperately to reassure him, to tell him that nothing that Quinn could say or do would ever tempt me from his side, but honestly I'm absolutely reeling from what I saw in Quinn's head, and I can't seem to do anything but replay it over and over again and worry.

"I'm fine Honey, just tired and a little frazzled from talking to Quinn. He's the one ex I could definitely do without having to see." Eric seems satisfied with my answer and hit's the start button again. When the elevator doors open I feel his hand on the small of my back, ushering me out of the elevator and into our room.

Once inside Eric takes me in his arms and gives me one of those deep amazing kisses that I'm so addicted to. I want nothing more that to lose myself in his embrace, to feel the saftey and the love that I find only in his arms. I want to let his passion and desire sweep me away, but I just can't. The more I think about what I heard in Quinn's head the more I feel agitated and uneasy. So instead of returning the kiss I push away from Eric slightly and tell him that I'm tired. He frowns at me, but doesn't push the issue. Instead we undress and lie down together. Sleep doesn't take me, I won't let it, but I do let Eric hold me and try to allow his nearness to calm me.

I feel the moment that dawn arrives. Eric's hold on me goes slightly limp and his emotions seem to turn off, leaving just the hum of his life force inside my head and heart. I crawl out from under his arm and go into the living room sitting infront of the now closed light tight shutters. I lower my sheilds and try to let my mind relax.

"Hello, can you here me? My name is Sookie Stackhouse, I'm another telepath. Are you there?" I send out into the dinn of mental voices that now rush into my brain. I wait for only a moment before I hear the answer that I knew was coming but hoped desperately wouldn't.

"Aunt Sookie, is that you? Sookie, Sookie where are you. Please help me." I hear more than feel the gut renching sob that comes out of my own mouth.

Hunter!


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I own nothing..._

Hunter and I talked for a long time. He told me that a while ago- children so young don't seem to have a really fixed concept of time- some scary men who he had trouble hearing and one man he couldn't hear at all came to his house just after Remy had put him down for bed. Hunter had been so intrigued by the differnt brains that he opened his bedroom door and crept down the hall to hear the conversation. What he saw was the person he couldn't hear talking softly and soothingly to his Dad.

Hunter couldn't remember everything that had been said but from what he could it seemed that Remy had been glamoured into allowing Hunter to be taken. Hunter remembered only that the vampire that had glamoured Remy wanted him to call any one important and tell them that Remy and Hunter were moving and that they wouldn't hear much from them anymore. Hunter said he tried to hide when the men with the funny brains began to search the house for him, but they found him anyway and took him without another word.

He had been here ever since. No one had hurt him, and no one had asked him to use his telepathy, but no one would let him go home or talk to his father either.

I was so terrified when the story was done that I had a hard time keeping it from Hunter. But I promised him that I would not leave him here and that I would think of a way to get him back to his daddy. After a while Hunter said that he was hungry and that he would go and eat something. I promised to contact him again before he went to bed.

After we stopped communicating I just cried for a very long time. All my hopes that this trip was going well, and would end with me back in Louisianna, enjoying my life were crashing down around me.

DeCastro had somehow found out about Hunter and was holding him prisoner. What on earth could I do? I tried for a long time to think of someone who could help, but I couldn't. Niall would be more than powerful enough to secure Hunter's freedom, but he was gone from this world and I had no way to contact him, Claude and Dermot had said more than once that their choosing to stay in this realm meant that they were cut off. Niall was not a possiblity. I could not, NOT tell Eric what had happened. Eric would help in a heartbeat, he would get his sword, gather an army, and lead an issurection that if it failed would have him meeting his final death. There was no way on God's green Earth that I would risk that.

That left me with only one option as I saw it. And that option made me sick to my stomach. I couldn't fight DeCastro and that meant I would have to bargain with him. The only thing I had worth trading for Hunter was myself. The tears came fast and hard when I finally allowed myself to think that thought all the way through. Could I really do this? Could I offer to stay here, offer to give up everything I knew and everyone I loved? What if he holds me here as a prisoner? I'll never see my home again, I'll never see my brother or my friends again.

Oh God, I'll never see Eric again. I cannot tell him about Hunter or he will try to take matters into his own hands, like wise he'll never allow me to trade myself for Hunter. In order to keep Eric safe I will have to lie to him.

My mind rebelled against that thought the second I had it. How could I lie to him, we're blood bound? He'll know a falsehood the moment I say it. For a few brief and cowardly moments I clung to that thought. My mind trying to convince me that the bond would tip him off and so I shouldn't even try. It won't work, just find another path, an easier path, anything but this, anything but losing my freedom and my life. Anything!

But each time I was about to back away from it I thought of Hunter. I thought about the little boy in whose life I desperately wanted to take part sitting somewhere in this enormous place being used by these heartless creatures for their own ends. He would never survive it. I had wanted him to fill the void that the children I would never have had left, now it was time for me to fill the void that his dead mother had left. What mother would put herself and her own happiness above that of her childs? What mother would ever think of leaving her little boy in this hell?

A mother, a real mother would do whatever she had to for her child, and I had to do whatever I could for Hunter, even if that meant giving my own life in exchange.

Once the decision was made I felt a sort of cold resolve come over me, and it carried me through most of the day. I showered, did my hair, and dressed in one of my nicest casual dresses. I packed away my ball gown from last night, and even ordered a late lunch and managed to get down two or three bites. But as sunset grew ever closer panic began to set in.

I felt the almost unbearable urge to open the bedroom door and simply hide in Eric's embrace. If I suceeded tonight I would never ever see him again. I had to kiss him one last time, had to breath in his scent, run my hands through his silk hair, and hold his beautiful body in my arms. But as I felt my hand on the door knob I stopped. If I went in there now, I would never be able to leave him. And so I did the only thing that I could. I left the hotel suite, took the elevator up to the 109th floor and waited in DeCastro's reception room for the sun to set.


	5. Chapter 5

_Authors note: I want to thank everybody who reviewed, put my story in there favorites, and put my updates on alert. Thank you, thank you, thank you it means a great deal to me to know you're reading and enjoying._

_Disclaimer: I own nothing..._

I had only to tell DeCastro's receptionist that I wanted a private audience with his Majesty and I was suddenly first on his schedule for the night. Twenty minutes after sunset she ushered me in to a small library and told me that the King would see me shortly. Not five minutes after she closed the door another one opened on the other end of the room and in walked DeCastro dressed like Zorro as always.

He looked me up and down and smiled a lascivious smile. It made me quesy and for one last moment I contemplated running out of there and not stopping until I was safely in my room, in my bed, with MY vampire. Instead I smiled as becomingly as possible and dipped a low curtsy.

"Your Majesty, thank you so much for seeing me on such short notice. I hope I haven't upset your schedule for the evening?" I say trying to sound as if I care.

"Not at all Ms. Stackhouse, any opportunity to speak with you privately is always of great interest to me. How can I be of assistance to you this evening?" He smiles again and takes my hand to kiss it. I want to pull it away, but instead I allow him to kiss me and try not to shudder.

"Your Majesty it has come to my attention that you have a small human boy here with you, a telepath." I see his eyes narrow for one moment and then he smiles. I can't place the emotion behind the smile but I know that I don't really like seeing it.

"Yes, I have been lucky enough to find another one, you are all so rare, he is a great treasure." Now it's me who has to control my facial expression. I want to scream at him, to slap him across the face, to find something wooden and end him. We're people not things, he can't just keep a child here as though he's a rare artifact!

"He is also my cousin Hadley's son." I say. DeCastro chuckles at that.

"Yes, my dear I am well aware. I have wanted a telepath for a long time but, up until a few months ago finding one had seemed a fruitless endevor. You were of course taken thanks to your marriage to the Viking, and Barry is the property of another King, so neither of you were truly an option. I was quite upset that it seemed I was going to walk away empty handed when my dear Sandy had a wonderful thought. Why not investigate your families? She is so clever, and so efficient, it's why I keep her around despite the fact that her other major personility trait is an almost overwhelming propensity to be boring." With that he chuckles at his own little joke and I begin to search around again for something wooden and sharp. "Barry seems to be unique in his family and has no other living relatives who show any telepathic ability. You seemed quite unique as well until Sandy came across a copy of Hunter's birth certificate in the courthouse in New Orleans. It took very little time and very little survalence by my people to discover that he was just like you."

I listen to him tell me all this in the same tone someone else might order breakfast, and once again I know I'm right. Whatever I have to do to save Hunter I'll do it! This man could care less for Hunter, his feelings, his well being. He wants him for one thing and one thing only, and I cannot let that happen. I take a deep breath and prepare to play my one and only card.

"Your majesty, you said that you made this quite extensive search because Barry and I were already, as you put it, taken. What if I weren't?" DeCastro's eyebrow shoots up and I can see that he is momentarily suprised, but then he smiles and I see just a hint of his fangs.

"Are you offering to come work for me Ms. Stackhouse?" He asks and I can tell that he's happier than the cat that caught the canary. My stomach lurches and I feel as though I might actually wretch right here on his super expensive imported rug, but I press on managing to swallow down the bile that had risen to my throat.

"Yes, if you were to set Hunter free and leave him in peace than I would be happy to work out an arrangement with you." My voice is steady, but my stomach is still churing and my hands are begining to shake. DeCastro on the other hand is as cool as can be.

"I am happy to hear that Ms. Stackhouse but truthfully, I am not accustomed to making such important agreements when they are couched in such vague terms. Let us be clear with one another shall we? You desire me to return the boy to his father and have no futher dealings with him. In return you will leave your life in Louisianna and reside here with me in Las Vegas. You will use your telepathy for my benefit and provide your services for any other needs I may have. Yes?" I clasp my hands together to try and keep the shaking from getting worse, there is no mistaking his meaning when he says that he desires my services for his other needs. I know I'm past the point of no return, there can't be any running from the room or taking what's been said back, and so I just nod.

"Very well, I will accept your offer Ms. Stackhouse on one last condition. You are blood bonded and pledged to my Sherriff. You cannot simply leave Northman and come to me, our laws do not work that way. If you were to do so I would still be seen to be stealing." I want to scream at him, to lash out and tell him that he is stealing. He's stealing me from Eric just as surely as he stole Hunter from his father. He's stealing my hopes and my dreams, he's taking my life and seperating me from my heart and the man who will walk away from me carrying it.

"What do you suggest?" I'm suprised by how steady my voice continues to sound. Truly, you would never know that my heart is breaking into tiny peices at this moment. I hadn't thought of this. It never even crossed my mind that I would need to do more than simply break up with Eric. Eric said it was my choice now whether or not I stayed with him. What else will I have to do?

"You must sever your bond and break your pledge to Northman in a public ceremony so that all will see that you come to me willingly and that the Viking has no further claim on you. This can be arranged in as little as a month. Until that time you will stay with me here as a show of good faith, and the boy will stay as well as collateral for your cooperation. Once the public cermony has been held you may personally, under guard of course, return to the boy to his father. Then you will return to me and spend the remainder of your life here as my servant. Do you agree?" So now I must not only leave my life, my friends, my family, and my love, I must also publically humiliate him, and make him and the whole world believe that I am nothing more than a cheap whore who would change one man for another as easily as any other woman might change shoes.

"What guarentee do I have that you'll keep your word?" I ask. DeCastro looks at me through slitted eyes again for one seemingly endless moment in which I am terrified that he will simply grab me, lock me away, and never let me see the light of day again. Then suddenly he bursts out laughing as though I've just told him the funniest joke he's ever heard.

"Absolutely none Ms. Stackhouse. But if you want to free the boy you really have no other choice. Especially not now. If you run to the Viking and tell him what has happened I will be ready for him, and when he comes to try and free the boy I will kill him. You will simply have to trust that I prefer the many talents you have to offer over the mere telepathy the boy can." I feel a fresh wave of hopelessness grip me as I realize that he's right. I have no other choice but to do this, and now I have not even the slightest guarentee that he will live up to his side of the bargain. I will have to please him in any way he chooses if I want to keep Hunter and now Eric safe. The thought of everything I'm about to give up by agreeing to this again rushes through my head. But I know there is nothing to be done for it now and so I hold my hand out to him and seal my fate.

"I accept your offer." DeCastro smiles triumphantly and instead of shaking my hand he pulls me to him and crushes his lips against mine. The kiss is revolting. His touch, his scent, and his taste bring the bile rushing back into my throat. How will I ever endure this? Worse than just sifting through the minds of the degenerates he will no doubt have me reading, I will have to bare this monster touching me and using me! How can I when I have known what it is to be touched by Eric? In that moment I wish any number of horrible things. I wish I were a more selfish person and could ignore the desperate need of this child. I wish I'd never met Eric and loved him and been loved by him. I wish Hadley had died of some heroine induced overdose before she ever met Sophie-Anne. I would wish myself dead but even that last bit of self indulgent pity is being taken from me since I know that my untimely death would simply lead DeCastro to take Hunter again. DeCastro finally ends the kiss and releases me from his grip.

"Excellent, I am very pleased. I think instead of bidding Northman farewell as I had planned, I will allow you to do so for the both of us. I will send two maids down to your rooms shortly to pack your things and bring them up to the permanent living quarters. When you are done informing the Sherriff of your change in situation you will come to my throne room and sit with me for the rest of the evening. You may get settled in after dawn when I have gone to my rest." With that he leaves the room and I am all alone once again.

Without another thought I crumple into a heap in the nearest chair and sob brokenly. Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. I feel myself starting to hyperventilate and I know that if I don't get control of myself I will lose it completely, but it's so hard! Part of my just wants to sit here and never move, as though if I don't get up from this chair time will simply stop and I won't have to go downstairs and leave the man I love or make good on my promise to remain here as a prisoner for the rest of the forseeable future.

Eventually though the tears run out and I'm left just sitting there staring into the fire place letting the heat dry them to my face. After the violent emotional storm I feel nothing but numb inside. The numbness is welcome. It allows me to focus objectively on my biggest immediate problem. How do you lie to someone who can sense your deception? I've always been fairly good at keeping a neutral face, but good acting just won't cut it this time.

With a kind of cold clarity I realize that there is only one way. I hope the numbness will make reading any particular emotions off of me difficult, as to the lying well, if I don't say anything that's techincally untrue than he should be none the wiser. I bark out a bitter laugh at the irony of that, after all it's Eric himself that taught me that. What was it he said "I don't always tell you everything, but what I tell you it's true." That's what I have to do now. Say as few words as possible, and make simple true statements. If everything I say individually is true than he will have no way of knowing that those true statements strung together make a lie.

I get up from the chair and walk out of the room as if in a trance. There is no more time to waste and no more tears left. What I do now I'm doing becuase I love Eric whether he'll ever know the truth of it or not.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I own nothing..._

When I walk back into our suite mintues later I find Eric alone and pacing the floor. Before I have the door fully closed he's in front of me, his two strong arms pulling me to him. I want so much to melt into his embrace, to kiss him and hold him close but just like this afternoon, I know that if I do that for even a moment my resolve will break. So Instead of pulling him close I put my hands on his chest and gently push him away. I see the hurt in his eyes, but there is nothing I can do for that now. Before the night is done I will have to hurt the both of us much more.

"Lover where have you been. I was about to go out looking for you?" Eric's voice sounds strained and I can sense through our bond that he has been deeply worried about me.

"I was with DeCastro. His Majesty has made me an offer of employment and I have accepted." Eric stares at me for one long moment as though I've grown two heads and then starts to laugh. After a minute though it becomes clear that I don't intend to join him and it begins to dawn on him that I am not joking.

"That's perposterous. I don't believe you." He tries again to pull me into his embrace and again I push him away, with slightly more force this time.

"You should, you know I can't lie to you." I feel the first stirrings of fear within him and it's everything I can do to stay focused, to keep my own emotions neutral and under control. Eric's face forms into a deep frown and that little line between his brows, the only line on his perfect face, becomes more pronounced.

"Why would you do that Lover?" I can't think of the reasons why now or I'll crack again. Instead I take a deep breath and land the blow that I know will hurt the most.

"He can give me things that you can't. I'm having my things moved up to his personal floor tonight." I both see and feel the moment what I say registers, and the terrible pain that rips through Eric is almost a physical thing. He steps closer to me but doesn't make any move to touch me.

"What things Lover? What can he give you that I cannot? I have given you my protection, my devotion, my love. I have offered you all my worldly possesions and your rightful place at my side though you would not take them. What more can he offer you Sookie, what could possibly sway you like this?" Eric's voice is just above a whisper but the words are not gentle. There is a dangerous edge to them that makes me take a step back. I have never been afraid of Eric, not since that first night at Fangtasia, somehow I have always known, even when his words said otherwise, that he would never truly hurt me. But right now I'm not so sure. Maybe he will simply kill me in his rage like Othello and Desdemona. Certainly the next words out of my mouth are a clear invitation for him to do it.

"He is a King." Eric rears back as though he's been slapped. He looks at me astonished as though he cannot believe those words came from my mouth. He knows of course that money, possesions they mean nothing to me, that all I've ever wanted was to be truly loved and to be first in a man's life. He knows that he's already given me those things, he gave them freely even when I pushed them away. This is the moment. I have to convince him that what he thinks I just said is true despite his knowing better. To that end I give him the hardest, coldest look I have ever given anyone. I just stare him down, with my chin jutted out and silently dare him to challenge what I've said. We stand frozen like that for one long moment and then to my utter horror Eric crumbles before me.

"No. No, Sookie please, please do not do this. I cannot let you do this." Eric grabs me around the waist and pulls me to him but he makes no move to overpower me, instead he goes down on his knees burrying his face in my stomach and rubbing it into the fabric of my dress. I want so desperately to put my arms around him to burry my hands in his hair, to tell him it's all a mistake and that I love him. Instead I use every spare bit of strength I have to remain completely still, my hands at my sides, standing like a statue in his embrace. Eric looks up at me after a few moments and I see his face is streaked with red. My proud, arrogant, beautiful Viking is on his knees, tears streaming down his face as he begs me not to leave him. "Sookie, I don't know what has happened tonight, but please I will do anything, give you anything, only please do not leave me. I love you. I love you as I have never loved another. Only give me the chance and I will prove it to you." He has shown me already, so many times since we met. I truly believe that no woman on this earth has ever been loved the way Eric loves me, and though it works to my advantage in this moment I know it will haunt me for the rest of my life that he doesn't know that I love him just as much. Again I remember all the things I never said and it nearly chokes me to swallow them back down.

"Eric there is nothing you can say or do to change my mind." I hear him take a sobbing breath at my words, but whatever he would have said is interuppted. At that precise moment the two maids DeCastro promised knock on the door. Eric springs to his feet and turns towards the window so that no one can see his face. I gesture to the maids.

"My clothing is in the master bedroom, and my toiletries are in the master bath. Thank you." The maids nod at my thanks and go to collect my things. Once they're in the other room Eric turns around and I see again the blood tears streaking down his face, staining his cheeks. But were a moment ago I saw only desperation to win me back, now I see something else entirely. It almost looks like hatred.

"I didn't realize it before," he says, his voice taking on that dangerous softness again, "but when I took that breath I could smell it." I'm not sure what he's talking about and he must see it in my face. "DeCastro, his sent is all over you." Faster than my eyes can track him Eric is in front of me again. This time he bends down and takes a deep wiff of the air around me. "He's here on your hands," he says taking one of them in his own briefly before dropping it. "He's here on your lips," His face gets so close to mine for one moment that we could almost kiss. "If I lifted your pretty dress, would I find him here?" He asks his hands brushing the juncture between my thighs. Despite the horrile horrible situation I can't help the little moan that escapes me when I feel his hand run over the top of my sex. My body has always loved Eric and even now in these dire circumstances it feels the need to express it's pleasure at his touch.

The sound however seems to have the opposite effect on Eric and I see nothing but blind rage over take him. He grabs my upper arms in his hands and pulls me to him roughly. "Answer me Sookie. Is that what he can give you that I cannot? Is that what you were doing up there with him while I went out of mind worrying that you were in danger. When I felt all of that sorrow was that nothing more than your guilty conscience reminding you that you were fucking one man while still you belong to another? ANSWER ME!" He screams in my face and his grip on my arms becomes painful as he drags me over to the couch and throws me down on it. " I said answer me! Answer me here on this couch that you fucked me on not two nights ago." Eric looks down at my shocked face but there is nothing but anger and rage coming off of him. Suddenly he's on top of me, his body pinning me to the couch, his hands fisting in my hair and pulling my head back so that I'm forced to look into his eyes. I'm suddenly utterly and completely terrified. "How could you? How could you make me love you like this? How could you let me believe that you loved me in return? How could you possibly feign all the emotions that have run between us all this time?"

Before I can answer the door swings open one more time and Sandy Seacrest is standing in the middle of our room.

"Sherriff Northman, I certainly hope you do not intend to damage the King's property?" Her voice is as cold as ice and I'm terrified for a new reason. If Eric cannot keep his temper he may end up dead. But suddenly he's off of me as though he was never there to begin with. I look up and see him giving a small bow to Sandy. When he looks at me again, it's as if something has died behind his eyes. Some spark that was always there is just missing and he replies with a voice equally as artic.

"I would never dream of offending his Majesty so. My humbest apologies." Sandy just nods. At that moment the maids simultaneously emerge from the bedroom and bathroom with my things. They've probably heard everything that's gone on but they say nothing as they quickly scurry from the room.

I take that moment to get up off the couch and brush my dress back down to it's proper place. I don't know what to say or do next, but it appears that clever, efficient, boring Sandy has it covered.

"I take it his Majesty's new telepath has informed you of the change in her status?" Sandy says as though she'd rather be filing her nails than having this discussion. Eric's expression remains placcid but I see the muscle in his jaw twitch just once.

"She has," he nods.

"Excellent. His Highness will require you in one months time to return to Nevada so that your bond can be broken and your pledge renounced before witnesses. However you presence tonight is no longer required. You may head back to Louisianna at your convenience." Again the only sign that Eric has really heard her is the twich of the muscle in his jaw. Other than that his face never changes. I try to keep mine neutral as well. Once I leave here I will have to join DeCastro in his thrown room. There can be no more tears before dawn. I have to hold it together.

"If that is what his Excellency requires than that is what I shall do. Since I am no longer needed I will be on my way now." Eric bows once more to Sandy but utterly ignores me as though I am not even there.

"Very good. Have a pleasant flight back to Louisanna Sherriff." with that Sandy takes me by the upper arm and leads me out of the room as though I'm not much more than a sack of flour.

In the years to come I would replay everything that happened in these last two days over and over again and torture myself with questions. Did DeCastro want me all along, or would he simply have been happy with any telepath, and I was unlucky enough that he found my little cousin first? Did Quinn really just let the information I got out of his head slip, or was he in on it? Did he ruin my life just to make sure that Eric and I would never be together? Some days I would make myself crazy turning the questions over and over in my head, but in the end I stopped asking them. It didn't really matter. I wouldn't have done a single thing differently no matter what the answers were. I had to save Hunter and I had to make sure Eric stayed alive. The only way to do both was to strike my bargain with DeCastro. It would be cold comfort in the future to come though.


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I own nothing..._

(One month later)

My ladies maid and my hair dresser say their good nights and leave me by myself for a few minutes. I sit starring at my reflection and think, not for the first time in the last month, that I barely recognize myself.

My hair has been professionally done as has my makeup. My clothes are all expensive designer brands and my jewelry is real. I'm wearing more than a car right now. I probably look more beautiful now than I have at any other time in my life, and I absolutely hate the beautiful woman reflected back to me in the mirror.

The last month has been both better and far worse than I ever expected it could be. I sat stone faced next to DeCastro all that first night in his throne room as he greated guests and did business. He told me that I was to read all the humans who entered. Though I found nothing out the ordinary, though I said almost nothing, and though I never smiled DeCastro seemed to like my company, so much so that has insisted every night since that I join him, even if there are no humans to read.

I have begun living almost exclusively on vampire hours, since DeCastro insists that I "attend" him all night long. The only time that I have spent awake during daylight are the hours that I spend with Hunter. Truly they have been all that's been getting me by. Playing with him, talking with him, really getting to be with him has kept me sane, and I shudder to think how I will cope after the ceremony tonight ends and I bring him back to his father tomorrow.

I can't think about the ceremony tonight, the thing that I have to do, or the man I have to face in few short minutes. It's all to unbareable. The last time I saw Eric he may or may not have been about to rape my in his rage, but somehow no matter what his intentions were I've already forgiven him. I know that it was the pain of my betrayal that motivated his actions. It couldn't have been rape anyway. I would welcome Eric into my body, now even more so than before, in anyway he chose to take me. But I will never have him like that again.

Instead I have a King in my bed. Eric's rage seemed to prevent him from realizing that even though I had DeCastro's scent on me that night, there was no scent of sex. This time when I face him that won't be true. DeCastro wasted no time once Eric had left enjoying his new telepathic pet to the fullest. Every night after he finishes with his business he takes me back to my rooms.

I'm not as revolted by it as I was those first few times, now it's more like an unpleasant task that I can bare getting through even though I would gladly pass if I had the choice. But those first few nights were so awful that I feared I would enrage him and he would renigg on our deal. To feel him kissing me in the places that Eric had so recently kissed, to feel him touching the parts of me that I wanted only Eric to touch, it was vile. Feeling him inside of me was too, but the worst was having to touch him. He tasted wrong, he smelled wrong, I wanted to vomit everytime he asked me to take his penis in my mouth, somehow that was even worse than having it in me. I don't understand how he can not see my disgust but it seems he genuinely does not.

Perhaps it's my blood. He sampled it that first night after I sat with him in his throne room and since then he has been progressivley more and more interested in me. I was sure in the beginning that he meant to treat me badly, meant to punish me for thwarting his plans by "marrying" one of his lowly sherriffs, but it didn't come. In truth I would have welcomed the cruelty. It would have made me feel righteous. I could have thought of myself as a martyr sacrificing herself for the freedom of her cousin and the saftey of her love. But once he'd had my blood that first night his attitude began to change.

When he is with me he is solicitous, he has already showered me with servants, jewels, more new clothes than I need to be presentable when I work for him. More new clothes than an entire army of woman could need. And he talks to me as though I am some sort of favorite pet. Perhaps a purebred cat that he pampers and spoils in return for doing a few tricks at a petshow now and again.

That was how I got to see Hunter. He never intended for us to interact with each other, but one night a week after I was moved into my permanent apartments he came to me and asked me what would "greatly please me". Of course what would have pleased me the most would have been to leave here with Hunter, go back home, and beg at Eric's feet until he took me back. But I figured that wasn't going to happen, and so I asked for something I thought I might be able to get, time with Hunter.

We're always surrounded by guards of course, but I am allowed to take Hunter down to the pool, or to the indoor play area in the casino, or to one of the casino restuarants for a meal anytime, and since I know our time together is limited, I have taken the opportunity to see him every day.

"Ms. Stackhouse, it's time." My maid announces sticking her head back through the door. I give the beautiful stranger in the mirror one last look, smoothing down her black Calvin Klein knee length silk dress and stepping into her sky high Louboutin stilletoes before turning and making my way down to the very same ballroom where Eric and I danced happily not a month ago.

Again Sandy has done an impeccable job. I'm beginning to realize that she isn't actually a sentient being at all, just an animated organizer with arms and legs. The ballroom has been ringed with three rows of seats that go along three of the walls, all facing the center of the dance floor. Along the fourth wall is DeCasto's throne flanked by two smaller chairs that I assume are for Sandy and Victor Madden. In the center of the dance floor is a raised dias so that no one watching the events that unfold tonight will leave saying they had a bad seat.

Apparently breaking a blood bond is even rarer than entering into one and so this is something of a command performance. The guest list, so Sandy has informed me, is very exclusive. Standing in the center of the dias, waiting to begin the proceedings is none other than Quinn. I wonder if he's here again tonight for the free champagne or if seeing me renounce the man I love was incentive enough for him.

I walk up the four steps of the dias and Quinn motions me to stand on his right side. I hear the sound of a clock chiming midnight and it seems that is the signal for the events of the evening to begin. The crowd becomes quiet and DeCastro stands and greets his eager guests.

"I thank you one and all for attending this ceremony tonight. I wish for there to be no mistake regarding ownership of this woman before you." DeCastro motions to me and I wonder bitterly if I should twirl around so that eveyone present can get a good view. "This woman, the Telepath Sookie Stackhouse has belonged to my Sherriff Eric Northman. They have sealed their union by pledge with a sacred knife and by the combining of their bloods. Ms. Stackhouse," DeCastro says now motioning to me, "Do you wish to sever your existing bond and renounce your pledge?" I swallow hard trying to find the numbness that has gotten me through so much of the last month. But it's out of my reach. I can feel Eric close by and that familiar feeling of happiness that comes over us when we are first together after a separation of any length is making it hard for me to concentrate. But I know what I have to do, and I will not fail Eric even if he doesn't know all this is really for him.

"I do." I say shortly and to the point. DeCastro smiles at me as though I have lit the moon. Surely he can't have convinced himself that I do this willingly. He better than anyone knows that the only reason I have done what I have done is to free Hunter. I am here against my will, no amount of money, jewels, clothes or presents will ever make me anything but his prisoner.

"Then I ask Eric Northman to come in." With that the doors to the ballroom open and Eric steps inside. Pam and another vampire I don't know flank him walking just a step behind. Pam and the unknown vampire take seats in the front row and Eric climbs the dias to stand on the other side of Quinn. DeCastro now sits and let's Quinn take over.

"Stand facing eachother." I want to cry, though how I could possibly have any tears left is beyond me. Instead I do as Quinn instructed and turn getting my first look at Eric in a month. My knees want to give out. He is so much more beautiful than I remembered. My mental picture simply cannot compare with the real thing. To my utter dismay though, he looks extremely well fed. So much so that at this moment he could easily pass for human. And the expression he wears when he looks down at me is so cold, so full of hatred and disgust that I feel physically hit by it. Again the overwhelming desire to fall at his feet and beg his forgiveness overtakes me. I would do anything in this moment, give anything to take it all back, but I know, as I've reminded myself a million times already this month, that I can't. So I just stare back at him and hope that my face remains as neutral as possible, as Quinn begins the ceremony.

It's fairly short and sweet, it may be rare to break a bond, but the procedure is suprisingly uninspired. All that is required to sever the most profound connection of my life is a little more bleeding. I have hated this bond, fought against it, used it as a weapon against Eric, and taken advantage over and over of it's many benefits. But as Quinn takes a knife and makes a small incision in my wrist, allowing a few drops of blood to drip out into a gold cup, I know that I fought against it not because I hated it but because it gave me one less tool with which to fight off Eric's determined advances and my own fear of losing my happiness. Well that happiness is well and truly gone now, and maybe my own inability to declare the extent of my feelings for Eric made it that much easier for him to believe that I never had them.

Quinn repeats the procedure on Eric and then holds the cup up for all to see. Once everyone has seen our mingled blood he takes the cup down from the dias and throws it into the fireplace. As the cup and the blood within are consumed by the flames I feel Eric's emotions begin to lessen with in me until I feel nothing, not even the hum of his lifeforce inside me. I feel empty. If Eric were not infront of me now I would believe him dead.

There is no pain involved, but the vaccum left by his feelings seems to cause a dull ache in my chest. I wonder if I will have that forever, if I'll get used to this terrible feeling just as I seem to be getting used to having to sleep with DeCastro. If Eric feels anything similar he shows not a single sign. Not even the muscle in his jaw twitches as our connection severs.

Quinn has returned to the dias now and asks Eric to produce the ceremonial knife that was used to "marry" us. This is perhaps the most interesting part of the cermony. If you can have an emotion as objective as curiosity about the ending of everything that has meaning in your life. Since I am not a vampire the "marriage" didn't carry the typical 100 year expiration tag that the marrigaes of vampire royalty normally do, and since we had no prior legal agreement before exchanging the knife all that has to be done for our marriage to be "annulled" I guess you would say, is for me to ask for the knife back before witnesses. Quinn looks at me now as it's time to do so. I look at Eric holding the knife, emotionless and cold, and I know that even if I were foolish enough to tell him everything nothing could be different at this point, maybe he wouldn't even want me back. So I take one of those steadying breaths and say my preprepared lines.

"I desire to nulify our pledge, of my own free will. I request the return of the knife that bound us in marriage, and I renounce any connection to you." My voice rings out loud and clear and I don't even recognize it. Eric holds the knife out to me and says his little peice in return.

"I also desire to nulify our pledge. I return this knife which bound us in marriage of my own free will, and renounce any claim to you." I take the knife from Eric's hand, making sure that our skin does not touch. With that it's done. DeCastro thanks everyone for attending once again, and the witness get up and begin to leave.

Eric looks at me for one long moment, but says nothing. Then he turns and leaves without a second glance around. Even now I want to call to him, but I know he wouldn't answer. DeCastro is at my side in the blink of an eye.

"And now you are mine Querida." I swallow hard, it takes every bit of self restraint I have not to tell him exactly what I think of him. Eric is safe, now I have to get Hunter to saftey. DeCastro takes my hand in his and leads me down from the dias. He nods his head jovially to the few stragglers that have not yet left as we make our way up to the living quarters.

When we are back in my rooms, I don't bother to ask if he will stay, I know the answer to that. Instead I mechanically shed my dress, my underwear, and my heels. I am about to take off my jewelry when he comes up in front of me, stopping me.

"No Querida, leave them on. You look like a princess standing there in nothing but diamonds. The sight is intoxicating." He carresses my bare breasts as he says this. I hate his touch, I hate the sound of his voice, and I hate this pet name he has apparently given me. But I suppose it's better than him calling me by my actual name, and better than him calling me Lover. Than again, no one but Eric could ever pull off the use of that word. I swallow a little sob and DeCastro must take it as a moan because the next thing I know I'm flat on the bed and he is naked above me. "So beautiful, so intoxicating. I could never have known what a truly wonderful bargain I had struck when you came to me that night in my library. But now, now I see that I have been as a man dying of thirst in the desert. Never knowing what it was that could cure my thirst until I found it. Let me sample your divine elixir now Querida."

With that DeCastro lowers his head to my breast, taking it in his mouth and puncturing my nipple with his fangs. It doesn't hurt much physcially, it's the emotional pain that nearly breaks me. He drinks deeply from me and I feel him enter me without further ado. He thrusts and thrusts and I know by now that I should pretend to come. It will make him happy and that makes him generous. And if he is feeling generous than he will not think of going back on his word that I can return Hunter to Remy tomorrow.

It doesn't last very long, but each thrust he makes into me feels like a life time of torture. I am nothing now, nothing but a kept whore. To everyone else I must appear as the worst kind of golddigger. First I dated Bill a vampire of no note what so ever, then it would appear that I traded him for a sherriff, and now I've traded that sherriff for a king. No one will ever know what I've done for Hunter, they will only see the slut whom DeCastro has drapped in jewels, who trades her talent and her body for worthless material things. I hate myself and so I forgive Eric, wherever he is, for hating me too. I forgive him for all the women he must have fed from and fucked to look so glowingly healthy tonight, and I try to forgive myself for doing what I have to do to keep them both safe. My life, my body, my gift they aren't mine to direct anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

_Authors notes: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed my story, put it on alert, and in their favorties. You all are wonderful!_

_I received a review that called my story and my Sookie stupid and the situation laughable. It was hurtful, but I know that everyone is entitled to their opinion and I've been bouyed by everyone who has said very nice things about my story (thank you all again!). However I'd like to take a brief paragraph to justify what I've written and were I'm going._

_I'm writing this story from Sookie's POV so of course Sookie is going to have sympathy for herself and see her actions as justified and right. It doesn't actually mean that the choices she makes are the right ones or the smart ones. However I think that her actions in this situation are consistent with the character that CH has written. Sookie is a good person who puts herself on the line for those she cares about. But she also has a very childish, very stubborn side that often precludes her from seeing that others- most especially Eric -are far more experienced at life and it's problems than she is. It's cannon that Sookie is keeping Hunter's gift from everyone including Eric and it's also cannon that Sookie has often made bad choices, for bad reasons, that had dire consquences for herself and others. Such as refusing Eric's offer to come stay with him Shreveport in book 9, which left her tortured nearly to death by the faires and cost Trey Dawson, Claudine, and Clancy their lives. So the situation here may be melodramatic, but I don't think it's a perversion of her character in the least. The story is named Before the Fall from the quote- Pride goeth before the fall, and I see Sookie's choices in this story as just that, her prideful attempt to solve things on her own and the disasterous results her decisions bring her. Another person would absolutely have asked Eric for help, and it would have been a smart thing to do, but I don't see that as something Sookie would do for all the reasons I stated above._

_Okay on with the show... I own nothing..._

(10 years later)

I watch from the small window as my private jet begins to make it's decent into Las Vegas National. My were guards are all pleased to be home and there is a general sense of happiness throughout the cabin, but I don't feel it. Coming back to Vegas after a visit home to Louisianna is always hard for me.

About seven years ago Felipe began allowing me to visit Bon Temps twice a year to see Jason and visit with my friends there. Sam is always happy to see me and dinner with him and Tara at Merlotte's is a standing date. Of course Jason thinks I made a career move to Vegas ten years ago, and Sam thinks what everyone else thinks, that I traded up to a King. I don't try to disabuse either of them of their misconceptions. Things between Felipe and I may be good, but I don't ever forget that Eric's continued saftety depends on my keeping up the facade that my move to Vegas was willing.

After the first few months when I used to cry myself to sleep just after dawn every day and wake calling Eric's name every evening, I just sort of gave up. My bargain had paid off. I was able to accompany Hunter and return him personally to his father, and Eric, having more than willing cast aside his unfaithful wife, was safe. Everything had worked so perfectly that now that I was the one in need of rescue there was no one to do it.

Felipe is not cruel though. As I suspected even in the first few nights of my captivity something about me, or my blood, or the combination of both seemed to infatuate him. Over the years, in addition to clothes, and jewels, Felipe began to shower me with more freedoms as well. The first was the right to go about the casino unguarded. Then it was the right to chose some of my own guards. The weres I have now have been with me for several years and I'm quite comfortable with them. Then came the right to visit Louisianna, then a new car, and so on.

Of course I've gotten all of these freedoms by allowing him to believe that I am as happy with him as he is with me. But then I don't suppose it's too much of a lie. Overall I guess I'm contented, which is as close to happy as I will ever be since I can't be with Eric.

I've even gotten to see Eric a few times over the years. Of course it's just from across a room and usually at Felipe's now annual acension celebrations. He never talks to me, he never even looks at me, but it's enough for me to see that he is alive and well. I can almost even ignore the different beautiful woman I see on his arm every year. Although I suppose that I'm actually happy it's a different woman each time, if it were the same woman I might not be able to handle it.

"We should be at the gate in just a moment or two Ms. Stackhouse," My personal flight attendant informs me. "I'm sure you must be happy to be home." I just smile weakly at her and turn back to the window. This isn't home and I'm really never happy to be here, but after the last few days I feel better here than I did in Louisianna.

It seems that after a decade Felipe has nothing but confidence in the mutual nature of our "love". So much so that he asked the Sherrif of Area 5 to provide supplemental personel to my security detail this time. I would like to think that such a request enraged Eric. I imagine him ranting and raving to Pam about it, but the truth is that after seeing him those few times over the years I know that he no longer thinks on me at all. Still it was cruel of him to send Pam and Bill as my supplemental security. I have two of my were guards with me at all times, but even with two other people in the room it was obvious that they didn't want to be there and couldn't stand the sight of me. After ten years of playing royal mistress, of pretending to like Felipe when I can't stand the thought of him, I hate the sight of me too.

I try to pull out my good deed in saving Hunter when I'm feeling particularly low, but still it's hard to get into my brand new BMW and not feel like a golddigging whore. Still I don't know how else I should have played things. If I had made myself unbearable, thrown temper tantrums and refused to cooperate Felipe might have gone back on the deal, or worse yet he might have chosen to punish me by hurting Eric. And truthfully it's all just easier this way. He would have been using my gift and my body with or without my consent at least this way I've gained some measure of autonomy. And since I can never leave him what does it really matter if I care for him or not, I'll always be there. He has two beings walking this earth that guarentee my continued, unending compliance.

We disembark on the tar mac and Felipe's limo is waiting for us. As I take the last step off the plane stairs the door to the limo opens and Felipe emerges arms open wide to greet me. Three years ago I finally convinced him that capes were passe and so all in all he looks very handsome as I make my way over to him. It's ironic really, I'm sure that almost any woman in this airport would give her left arm to be me, coming home to my wealthy vampire king sugar daddy. Being pampered, petted, and spoiled almost every waking hour, and yet if I had my wish I'd be back in my drafty run down farm house, lying in a bed that's been in that house for generations, not because it's an antique or an heirloom, but because no Stackhouse whose ever lived there has had the money to waste on a new bed when that one was perfectly good, and lying in the arms of my "lowly" sherriff. I try not to let the bitterness I feel seep into my smile as I great Felipe.

"Your majesty." I say as he enfolds me in his arms and kisses my lips. He chuckles softly and brushes my hair out of my face. After the few days of relative freedom I've had the contact is even more unpleasant than usual.

"Now, now none of that Querida. After all if you are going to continue to address me as your majesty, than after next week I will have address you in the same manner!" He laughs. "Come, come I wish to show you the final plans. Sandy is setting everything in motion as we speak." I nod my head dumbly and climb into the limo next to him.

The "plans" are for our wedding and my corrination. The royal mistress offically becomes Queen in one more week. As Felipe babbles on excitedly about the details I try very hard to look as though I'm listening even though my mind is elsewhere. Accpeting Felipe's proposal and agreeing to become his Queen is the hardest thing I've ever done. It's the last nail in the coffin of my captivity. And it feels like such a betrayal of myself. I'm tired of going over the reasons why I've done this in my mind. Hunter yada yada, Eric yada yada. It's like a broken record playing in my head. Oh well, at the very least it will be another chance to watch Eric from accross a crowded room. It's sad that such occasions have become the highlight of my life. But what ever gets you through.

The week goes by quickly with all the preperations for the wedding and coriniation. There are dress fittings and rehersals, meetings with my hair dresser, meetings with the jeweler creating my crown, endless meetings with Sandy to make sure that I don't embarrass his Majesty. Before I know it it's Saturday night and Felipe and I are standing in front of the ballroom entrance greeting our guests and visiting dignitaries. Tonight we're having a "rehersal dinner" of sorts, a party to welcome all of our guests and then tomorrow we will marry and I will be formally crowned Queen of Nevada, Louisianna, and Arkansas. I'm starting to get antsy when I see the one person who I've been living to see since last year. Eric and this years nameless beauty come up to make their fomal greetings. Pam, Bill, Thalia, and that vampire I didn't know all those years ago whose name turns out to be Wallace all follow him.

"Ahhh Sherriff Northman it's so good to see you and all of our friends from Area 5." Eric smiles politely but there is nothing friendly behind his eyes. None the less he is ever the savy politician and takes this opportunity to kiss his bosses ass. Probably even more so than he would have before since he's also techinically the ex-husband of his bosses new wife.

"Your majesty we are honored that you so graciously invited us." Eric bows low and then for the first time in ten years he turns to me and addresses me. "My Queen allow me to offer you my congratulations." It's nothing really, and so formally said you would never know that we had any relationship beyond the pleasantries we're exchaning now but I find it hard to make my voice work.

"Thank you Sherriff Northman, we are so happy you could attend." With that Eric an entourage move on and we great more guests. I know I'm just torturing myself but somehow I don't care. I can't wait for this receiving line to be over so that we can go inside and I can watch him all night long.


	9. Chapter 9

_Discliamer: I own nothing..._

My plans to "Eric watch" don't turn out. From the moment we sit down there is one toast after another as everyone vies to kiss Felipe's ass better than the last person. After that finally ceases, people come up and talk to us for most of the night. Where before I was simply the King's telepath and pet, now I am something more and am apparently required to join in the conversation however brief my imputs are.

It goes on like that for most of the night and I'm beginning to feel dizzy from it all. I remember the night ten years ago when Eric and I were in this same room and he introduced me around as his wife. If I thought the political machinations at his level were bad I was truly in ignorance. I finally need to excuse myself to the ladies room in order to take a breather. Sandy attempts to follow me, but I give her an ice cold stare and one shake of my head and she disappears. Probably the only thing I'm going to enjoy about being the Queen of three states is that I will no longer have to tread lightly with her. She annoys me to no end. I was tired of dealing with her that first night when she led me out the rooms Eric and I had shared like I was a misbehaving dog, and frankly she's only pissed me off steadily since then. Tonight I take my first oppotunity to teach her the new pecking order.

Once Sandy is gotten rid of, I actually take a moment to enjoy being alone. I'm in a room full of people, but no one is following me and no one is watching me like a hawk. It's a nice change. I exit the ballroom and head down the corridor to the ladies room, just as I'm rounding the corner I smack into something large and hard. I look up and my heart litterally stops. It's Eric. The phone he was putting away when he bumped into me falls to the floor. Without even thinking I bend down and retrieve it for him. I hold it out to him but he doesn't make any move to take it from me.

"You dropped your phone." I say stupidly. Eric looks at me for one long moment and I have no idea what he's thinking or feeling but suddenly I see him readjust his face into a perfectly emotionless mask. He bows low to me and takes the phone making sure that our skin doesn't touch.

"Majesty, thank you." He makes as if he will walk around me but I stop him. I don't know why I do it, but I just can't let him go. I have watched him and loved him and longed for him for ten years. He knows nothing of it, but he is one half of the reason I have sacrified my life. I want more than just a bow and some trite nicities.

"Eric, please don't speak to me as though you don't know me." The polite mask drops and I see the storm clouds forming in his sea blue eyes. In that moment I know I should have left well enough alone.

"I do not know you. Perhaps I never did, but certainly since that night a decade ago, I know nothing about you." It isn't as though I thought we could be friends but it hurts none the less. In my first few months here I would dream about him constantly and in one dream I had quite often we were able to speak together alone. Sometimes I would be able to confess what really happened and sometimes not, but in the dream he always ended by telling me that he still loved me, would always love me, and even though I always woke up then, that was enough. Just the knowledge that no matter what I would remain as important to him as he has remained to me. I've become accustomed over the last decade to dealing with the loss of my hopes, but it hurts more than I care to admit, that this one last dream is over. There is so little I can say to him, but at least one thing I can tell him.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I know that I can never ask you to forgive what I did, but I am sorry." I stop myself just in time. I want so badly to tell him everything, but this isn't a dream, and that will never be possible.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You freed me that night. I know you did not do it for my benefit but the result was the same none the less." I look at him puzzled and I see a sneer cross his beautiful face. "A vampire that gives into their emotions is as good as dead. How many times did I foolishly take bullets for you, step into the line of danger for you? No one's luck lasts forever, if it had continued that way I would surely have met my final death. No, you saved my life that night. I would never have had the strength to leave you of my own will. Really I owe you a debt of gratitude." Eric says it all so coldly, without even a hint of anger or pain that I know he means it. All these years that I have longed for him, I longed alone. He is completely and totally done with me. There is truly nothing more to say.

"For what it's worth, I'm glad that your alive and well." I say, and with that I turn around and head back into the ballroom, my trip to the ladies room forgotten. The only thing that will get me through the night now is a stiff drink.

As I stand next to Felipe for the rest of the night, politely contributing to the conversations we have and generally showing one and all what a lovely, gracious Queen I will be I make a decision. One that perhaps I should have come to a long time ago. I'm done wasting my life on regret. I am no longer just Felipe's unwilling telepathic pet, or a tragic martyr who has sacrificed her freedom for the life and saftey of others.

I am Queen of Nevada, Louisana, and Arkansas, I have money, and power, and influence. I may not have love but honestly what has that emotion ever gotten me but pain. I loved my parents and they died. I loved my Gran and I got her killed. I loved Bill and he cheated on me, lied to me, and raped me. In a moment of insanity I told Quinn how happy I was and that I loved Eric and not ten minutes later the whole world was falling down around me. I am done with sorrow, I am done with regret, and I am done with love.

I promise myself from this moment I will never search for Eric's face in a crowded room again. No, this is my place in life now and I will make a sucess out of it! If I could speak to him one last time I would thank Eric for what he said to me in the hall. Tonight he freed me.


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I own nothing..._

(Seven months later)

I breeze into the sitting room of the royal apartments that I now share with Felipe just a few minutes after sunset. Two of my were guards, John and Parker, are behind me and I laugh at a joke Parker has been telling us. John drops the shopping bags that he carried for me onto the couch and Parker props the box of the doll house I just purchased up against the wall.

We've been shopping all day and we're all glad to be done. I don't usually shop. I have no need to. Whatever I need, and a great many things that I don't need, just appear in my closet as though by magic. Although I know it's really the hard work of my two ladies maids who take care of everything I need. But after years of trying unsucessfully, and longer years of going through the endless paperwork and home visitis Jason and his wife Michelle have finally adopted a beautiful little girl. I haven't seen her yet, but my visit in three months will coincide with her 2nd birthday and so I went out today and bought everything that Jason and Michelle would need for her that I knew they wouldn't be able to afford for themselves, and a few things that were just so adorable I couldn't pass them by.

Just as I'm bidding John and Parker good night I hear Felipe emerge from the secured light tight chamber he sleeps in during the day. Once the door closes behind them I turn around and prepare to greet my husband. My feelings for him haven't changed. I don't love him, and I don't enjoy sleeping with him, but in the last half year I've become determined to make our marriage work and find some modicum of contentment. I view this as no different than an arranged marriage and I count myself lucky that my husband at least seems to care for me.

Unlike most nights he makes no move to take me in his arms or kiss me, and there are no soft words. I give him a puzzled look and am slightly alarmed to see that his eyes are ice cold. There is something quite frightening about them. I don't know what could be wrong, but the best thing to do when Felipe is moody is to simply be sweet and complimentary until he comes around. To that end I plaster my nicest smile on and go over to him.

"Good evening my husband. Are you well tonight." Felipe like's the "vampire humor" I sometimes drop. I lean over and plant a kiss on his cheek but he makes no move to reciprocate and simply stands stone still. I'm a little stumped and trying to find something else to say when he finally decides to speak to me.

"You seem to enjoy the company of Parker and John a great deal." I have no idea what I'm supposed to say to that. Of course I like them, I picked them personally because I thought they might bring a little humor into my day. I decide to just stick to the sweet and nice routine.

"I do very much. Thank you so much for hiring them for me. It means a lot that you let me pick my own guards. But then you are always so generous with me. No Queen could ask for better." I smile at him. Instead of smiling back Felipe's expression darkens and I am now truly becoming concerned.

"I am very generous with you Querida. Perhaps I have been too generous, to permissive. Sandy has told me all about your afternoon excursions and how you always choose those particular dogs if they are on duty." Suddenly I understand. This whole scene has been orchestrated by Sandy.

Since becoming Queen I have been taking a more active role in the management of Felipe's kingdom. Felipe has seemed to geniunely enjoy my interest in helping him rule, but Sandy apparently does not. I don't know if it's just that she doesn't like sharing, or if she's jealous that a human pet has risen so high and perhaps become more important to Felipe than she is, but it now seems clear she is out to get rid of me.

Publicaly of course, she defers to me as her sovreign, showing me just the a little less deference than she does Felipe, but behind closed doors she has begun trying to cause problems between us. She has started parading a bevy of young and beautiful woman in front of Felipe hoping to cool his ardor for me and now it seems that she is attempting to convince him that I am unfaithful. I sigh mentally, though I don't dare show that kind of negative emotion in front of Felipe.

"Dearest, " I say dropping the sweet names and hoping to soften him. "I am your Queen, and I belong to you. I know this and I would never dream of betraying you..." Whatever groveling words of devotion might have come out of my mouth next are cut off as, faster than I can process, Felipe grabs me around the waist and shoves me up against a wall.

"I hope you do know that Querida. I told Sandy that you would never be so foolish as to betray me, but perhaps I should remind you as well of the many reasons why it would be a tragic mistake for you to ever become over confident in my affections." His voice is soft and sinister and he bares his fangs at me as he speaks. I stare at him dumbfounded, knowing there isn't a single way I can hide my terror. I know only to well what would happen if I were unfaithful or if I crossed him in absolutely any way.

"Felipe please I am your wife," I start to say but again he cuts me off.

"Yes, YES you are my wife. You are mine in every way and yet I see, I SEE the way you look at Northman everytime he's here. I see the lust and the longing in your eyes. I know that if you had your way you would run back to him. I have given you everything, everything a woman could desire and yet you still pine for that barbarian swine everytime he is near. Do you think I do not see it? Do you think others do not see it as well? And now Sandy tells me that you are over familiar with your guards. If Sandy sees your impropriety than so do others. I will not be made a fool of! You may love me or not love me as you choose, but you will never forget who owns you!"

"Felipe, please, I swear to you that nothing has happened between me and anyone. The thought has never crossed my mind. I don't care one bit about the guards. If you don't want them here than fire them. I only want to make you happy." I try to keep my voice level but the shakiness is apparent to anyone. Felipe looks at me and smiles a deeply disturbing smile.

"Good Sookie, good. I know of course that I can trust your fidelity. After all if you were ever to betray me than I would be forced to kill Northman in front of you. When I was done I would kill you as well, and then I would have no choice but to replace you with your little cousin." With that Felipe releases me and acts as if the last five minutes have not happened. "Now my dearest wife and Queen, I am hungry." With that Felipe pushes me down on the floor and takes the opportunity to emphasize his previous point. I am his.

The next afternoon when I head down to the casino reception area I find two new were guards on duty. They introduce themselves to me cooly and say nothing more to me for the rest of the afternoon. I arrive back at the casino just after dusk to find Sandy waiting for me at the front desk. She looks me up and down and smiles an evil little smile at me.

"His majesty has asked me to inform you that he is unavailable to have dinner with you tonight. You will eat in your apartments and then join him in the thone room as usual." With that Sandy walks away.

As I eat my dinner I contemplate this new threat from Sandy. It's a nice treat not to have to sit to dinner with Felipe. I can think quietly to myself and not have to engage in conversation on the topic of his choice as I usually do, but it's a bad sign. For the last ten years I have not had a problem keeping his interest. I have never even had to try, it just always was. Now I wonder if I should not begin to put some effort into it.

I hate thinking in these kinds of terms, doing so makes me feel more like a gold digging whore than ever, but really I'm not after gold or presents or material possesions. If Felipe grows tired of me, or if Sandy convinces him to get rid of me than Hunter is not safe. I am getting older, I am still quite young looking thanks to all the spa treatments I've received over the last decade, but it can't last forever and I'm already almost 37. It's not necessarily that I care if Felpe continues to find me desirable. In fact if he did decide to start sleeping with someone else it would be a relief, but I am terrified that any loss in my status might just convince him it would be better to toss me aside and go after Hunter.

After our conversation last night I'm also terrified for Eric. The words Eric and I exchanged in the hall the night before my coriniation and my subsequent decision to stop living in the past does not mean that I don't still love him. It was just common sense. As my Gran always said, there is no point crying over what you don't have. I curse myself for being so stupid. How could I think that no one would notice me following his every move those times when he's been near me. I sigh and try to hold back tears. After everything I've done and everything I've sacrificed Hunter and Eric are still not safe. God will this never end? Will I have to spend my entire life in fear for them both? I throw my napkin down and get up from the table. It's time for me to join Felipe in the throne room. I will not think about this anymore. I will be a doting and adoring wife and I will prove to him that my fidelity, if my not heart, is his. And I think it's time I started thinking about how to get rid of Sandy!


	11. Chapter 11

_Authors Note: Here it is, the last two chapters, I finished early and wanted to get it out to you. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed my story, put it on alert, and in their favorites. You all rock! I'm so honored that you all liked my story and I'm really grateful that you've taken the time to read it._

_I wanted to give an extra super thank you to VAlady for her last review, she kindly pointed out a few loose strings hanging out of my story and it really helped me pull the ending together. You are awesome thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews and your support! :)_

_Okay the end...I own nothing_

(three months later)

Things between Felipe and I have not improved much over the last couple of months. He continues to be suspicious of my guards and cool to me in private. However in public he insists on pretending that things between us have never been better. I guess he would be embarrassed to admit that even though he is a king he can't make a little human girl love him. I'm not sure if Sandy planting the seeds of suspicion in his ear made him realize that I don't love him, or if he never really cared to examine my feelings very closely, but doesn't like the possibility of others knowing I don't love him. Since I can't honestly say that I know what Felipe does or doesn't feel for me at this point it's all quite rediculous, but it seems clear that the honeymoon is over.

Though I felt that leaving Vegas for even a short trip was a bad idea, Felipe insisted that I go. If the Queen did not make her semi-annual visit to Louisana it might appear that something was wrong. So I have been back in Bon Temps for the last few days.

It has been wonderful to meet Jason's daughter, and see Sam and Tara, and I'm grateful to get the opportunity to visit my Gran's grave. But I'm anxious to get back, worried that every second I spend here is another second Sandy is dropping poison in Felipe's ear.

My new were guards are in the front seat of my rented Escalade and who else but Pam and Bill are sitting behind me. No one talks. My were guards must be warned not to make conversation with me, and my vampire guards still clearly do not want to, and so I sit in the middle row of the SUV and will this twenty minute drive from Merlotte's to my farmhouse to be over. Once I get there I will pack up what little still needs to be put back in my suitcases, we'll bid Pam and Bill farewell, or at least I'll say goodbye and they will nod their heads and do their best to look respectful while not saying anything to me, and then well be out to the airport.

As we pull up to the farmhouse though we're greated with an unpleasant suprise. Walking out of my house is Victor Madden, and coming out of the trees are about thirty vampires. They have the house and the clearing around it surrounded before we even come to a stop. My were guards look at Bill and Pam and we all know that this is very, very bad. There seems no choice but to get out of the car though, so we do. Madden smiles an all fang smile at me and bows mockingly.

"My lovely Queen it's a great pleasure to be seeing you this evening. I thought you might never join us." I remember having conversations with Eric and Pam about how much Victor needed to die. That was over ten years ago and just before Madden attempted to kill Pam and I. I've never been quite sure how Eric has let this little peice of business go undone, yet year after year at Felipe's acsention celebrations there he is, and here he is now and I know there can't be any good reason for it.

"Victor. Why are you here?" Madden chuckles again and I just can't help but feel that he is really the most sterotypical of villians.

"Why my dear I am here to arrest you for treason." My heart litterally stops. I knew Victor could not possibly be up to any good, but this is just about as bad as it gets.

"What are you talking about? I have not committed treason!" Madden just smirks as the door to my house opens one more time. Out come two vampires dragging something large. When they come into the circle of light provided by the flood lights around my yard I see that they're dragging Eric, chained in silver.

"Perhaps not, but that isn't what I intend to tell his Majesty. No, these vampires here before you now will infact be helping me tell him quite a different story. They will tell Felipe how you were found with your lover and former husband and detained by us. How you confessed to having a many years long affair under his majesty's nose, and my personal favorite, how Northman here begged like a woman for his life." Eric gives a low and dangerous sounding hiss, but with two vampires holding him and the many more surrounding us, it's an empty threat.

"And why exactly would you tell my husband these lies?" I think that I'm trying to buy time by keeping Victor talking, but exactly who I'm buying time for I don't know. There are six of us against thirty vampires. I'm human and Eric is chained. That leaves Pam and Bill and my two weres. That's more than seven to one, those are pretty bad odds in this kind of situation. Madden is happy to continue on in his role as "villian charicature" though and happily takes this opportunity to spill the plot.

"Well, I have nothing against you of course my dear, except that I've never liked you, but it appears that you've made quite an enemy of Sandy. I on the other hand absolutely dispise your dear ex-husband here, and I've been trying to get rid of him for over a decade. Well, when I confided my little problem to Sandy she concocted a nice little plan that kills both our birds with the same stone. She has I take it suceeded in planting the seeds of doubt about your fidelity to Felipe?" He isn't really looking for an answer but I nod anyway. "Wonderful than when I bring you both in and my loyal vampires corroborate my story, you will be both be killed. Sandy will be rid of you and I will be rid of Northman here. Very simple really, but then the most elegant things often are."

With that Madden orders Pam and Bill taken around back and chained in silver to await the sun, and my two were guards killed. My other guards were in the house when I left for dinner at Merlotte's earlier in the evening so I can only, sadly, assume that they're already dead. As for Eric and I, Victor has me hand cuffed and tossed into the back of the Escalade, and Eric dumped into the trunk area of another SUV.

The ride to the private air strip in Shreveport is silent and I spend it trying not to cry. Everything for nothing. All the pain, all the sacrifice for nothing. I won't cry in front of Victor though, I'll spit in his eye and let him rip my throat out first.

When we arrive at the airfield I get another unpleasant suprise. One that is somehow worse than knowing scum like Victor would sell Eric and I up a creek for personal gain. Standing in front of Victor's personal jet is none other than Quinn. I don't see much of him in Vegas. He still provides the people and enjoys the drinks at Felipe's parties, but we've probably only shared ten sentances between us over the years. Despite my never ending questions about exactly what his role was in my my "move" to Vegas, I didn't want anyone else brought into my little mess and so I've avoided him. Now it seems I finally have the answers to those questions, Quinn was definitely in on it.

Victor hands me over to Quinn and allows his other henchmen to drag Eric along (it takes three of them). Eric and I are taken back to the cargo area of what I assume is Victor's private jet. There are two sets of cuffs bolted to the wall. The vampires that brought Eric secure his chains to the sliver cuffs and Quinn secures me to the regular ones which are lower down and will allow me to sit on the floor though the flight. It appears these retraints have been put in specifically for our benefit. Quinn makes to leave but I call him back. He turns around, a grimmace on his face, and scowls down at me.

"How could you Quinn? This whole time you were a part of it. You helped trick me." Quinn looks uncomfortable for about three seconds and then I see his lips contort into a snear. He smiles coldly and snorts.

"It could have been different Babe. If you'd a listened to me when I came to talk to you, if you'd a given me a second chance I could have taken you away from all of this. But no, you were just determined to stay a part of all of this vampire shit, and for what? To keep fucking this deader?" Quinn jerks his head in Eric's direction.

"So what, you entire motivation for ruining my life was that if you couldn't have me Eric couldn't either? I yell at him. He just shrugs, and it only makes me angrier, I just can't figure it out. "I don't get it, if you wanted me back why help Felipe trick me?" Again he just shrugs at me.

"I knew you weren't coming back to me Babe, you made that crystal clear, but I'd be hell damned if I let myself lose to this arrogant peice of dead shit." Quinn jerks his head in Eric's direction and gives him a stare that would peel paint.

"You're fucking insane do you know that?" I yell at him pulling against my restraints and completely loosing any semblance of cool or calm.

"And your a fucking fool, Babe. All the things you done, all the things you gave up, and you're still gonna end up with nothing. When Felipe hears what Victor has to say nothing out of your mouth is gonna save you or him."

"And so what, now taking away everything I loved and cared for isn't enough? You want my life too?" I'm screaming now and I can't stop. But Quinn is utterly unmoved by either my shock or my anger.

"I'm sorry Babe. I'm just here to help mop up Northman. He took you from me and I've been wanting him just as dead as Victor does for the last ten years. I didn't know you'd be involved, but shit happens." He smiles at me and I utterly cannot believe I ever thought there was anything good or decent in this man. I cannot believe that I almost chose him over Eric all those years ago.

"What the hell happened to you?" I don't know why I continue this little conversation, it's pointless, but God it hurts so bad to realize just how thoroughly he's betrayed me.

"I fell in love with a girl, and at first it seemed like she loved me too, but then I found out she was just wasting time with me till the guy she really wanted got his shit straight. That can harden a heart Babe, and you shoulda realized years ago, we're all killers, you don't cross a killer." With that he walks out of the cargo hold.

I sit there as the plane begins to taxi and just stare at the opposite wall. My mind can't seem to process everything that I've just learned. How thoroughly everything was for nothing and how terribly I've messed up. Eric and I will die and Hunter will still end up as Felipe's slave. The truth of this rediculous farce causes me to start laughing, and by the time the plane actually takes to the air I'm hysterical somewhere between laughing and crying, but unable to decide which way to go.

"Sookie, calm down." I just keep laughing. "Sookie, please calm down." Nope still laughing. "Sookie, SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Eric screams at me and finally it penetrates that I'm loosing it and I immediately stop.

"Sorry, the last decade's just been a bit stressful." Eric gives me a cold look but something floats across his face.

"What did you mean when you said Quinn tricked you?" For ten years I've been wanting to tell him everything, but knew that I couldn't. I watched him from across rooms, I dreamt about him, I called for him in my sleep, I cried bitter tears about it all. I wonder now, if I tell him the truth, if he won't just laugh at my stupidity and consider himself lucky to have gotten rid of me.

"The night of Felipe's first ascension ball, when I was out on the balcony with Quinn, he let it slip that Felipe had found another telepath and that the telepath was a little boy. It turns out the telepath was Hadley's son. I knew about his ability before and I kept if a secret so that he wouldn't be pulled into all this vampire shit," I smile bitterly at Eric as I say that. "I didn't know what to do. There wasn't anybody that could help me except you and I couldn't ask you to risk your life raising an army and leading a rebellion against DeCastro. So I did the only thing I could think of. I went to Felipe and offered to trade myself for my cousin. Felipe agreed but only under the condition that I break our bond and our marriage publically. I traded myself to save Hunter and I left you to save your life."

"You should have told me, we would have found a way together." His voice is quiet but I can hear the anguish in it. I know him well enough, even after all these years, to know that he's puting it all together, my actions the night I broke up with him, the looks from across the room all those years, maybe even some of the confusing jumbles of emotions he felt from me the night of our annulment. The utter waste that the last ten years have been. I hear myself laugh bitterly.

"Yeah, I know. I should of told you a lot of things. But it's a little late for all that now." I lower my head and feel the tears falling, but I try not to make to much noise. Honestly if I have a shred of dignity left I'd like to die with it.

Eric and I are silent for a long time after I tell him the truth. I have nothing left to say of course, and apparently Eric has nothing else he wants to say.

"Do you love him?" I snort when I hear that.

"Only you would pull that out as the next pertinent question. We're both going to die and all you care about is whether I love the man whose going to swing the sword? I do not love him, I have never loved him... I love you." I hear Eric let out a strangled sort of cry and when I look up at him I can see he's trying to hold in a particularly strong emotion. He seems to get control of himself and after a moment he looks down at me and it's like watching a glacier melt. All of the sudden I see the man who loved me all those years ago.

"As I love you." He says so quietly I almost didn't hear it. I can feel my heart exploding with joy.

"So what now? When this plane lands we're as good as dead." Eric just shrugs, or he does the best imitation of a shrug that he can chained in silver to a cargo hold wall.

"We'll just have to have faith Lover." I snort again but this time the sound is filled with bitterness not amusement.

"I have to tell you after the last decade I'm a little short on faith." Eric just chuckles softly.

"Not me Lover, I'm filled with it. It seems that the universe has seen fit to answer at least one of my prayers." I give him a puzzled look and he smiles that warm genuine smile that used to make my insides melt, it still does. "Now I hear all this I think I may be the stupidest man on earth to still love you, but I do. I have prayed every night for the last decade that you might find your way back to me, and now you have. Surely after all we have both suffered we are owed one more tiny miracle."

"Well if your the stupidest _**man**_ on this Earth than I guess we deserve each other. I don't know about the miricles thing anymore, but I do know that if I'd just trusted you enough to tell you about Hunter all those years ago, before Felipe found him, maybe none of this would have happened. I thought I could solve it all on my own and look how that turned out. I think I'll just trust you now and see if that goes better." Eric chuckles to himself.

"What is it that book all you Christians love so much says? Pride goeth before the fall." Eric is just close enough for me to kick and I do it gently now. We both laugh just a little bit and to say that it feels sureal to laugh with the man I love, who I thought was lost to me, as we wing our way to my husband, who will probably kill us both would be an understatement. But there has been so little joy in my life the last ten years I'll take it here at the end over not all.


	12. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I own nothing..._

Once the plane lands Eric and I are hauled off and thrown in to the back of one of Felipe's limos, guards on each side of us and Victor and two of his vampires sitting across from us. Quinn and the others follow in another limo just behind us.

When we pull up to the back entrance of the Casino who but Sandy herself is waiting at the door with more of Felipe's royal guards. As I'm dragged from the limo I see her smile like a shark ready for the kill and it's all I can do not to try to break free of the vampires holding me so I can run over and kick her.

"Victor, well done! Sherriff Northman welcome back to Nevada, and of course my beloved Queen, I'm so happy to have you safely back." Sandy chuckles evily and gives me a mock bow. From there we're dragged into Felipe's throne room with the whole gang following behind.

Sandy was obviously going for shock value with this whole thing because as soon as we're hauled into the room Felipe stands up and looks around quite shocked. It's clear he wasn't expecting his night to go quite like this.

"Sandy, Victor what is the meaning of this?" He asks looking around, trying to make sense of everything that's going on.

Victor takes his opportunity and spins quite the compelling yarn about how Eric and I were discovered tonight naked on my living room floor engaging in only the most obsense sexual acts. And how poor Victor was only there to try, at Sandy's request, to find me and give me a message regarding my schedule for tomorrow when Sandy couldn't reach me on my house phone or cell. How when pressed Eric and I admitted that we had been engaging in a many years long affair that began when Felipe, so blinded by his misguided love, started allowing me to visit Louisianna. And of course, as promised, how Eric desperate to save his own skin begged and cried like a frightened little girl for his undead existance. Madden finishes off by telling Felipe how grief stricken he is to have to be the one to expose the henious betrayal of Felipe's Queen and Sherrif, but that as Felipe's most humble servant what other course of action could he take?

Victors vampires now step up and corroborate the story he's just told embroidering the tale here and there for maximum effect. I can see by Felipe's face that he so angry, so entirely enraged by what he hears that he isn't thinking straight. He won't bother to question why Victor came to give me a simple message armed with thirty guards or why Sandy wouldn't try calling my guards if she couldn't raise me on my personal lines. Nope common sense is not a part of tonight's proceedings and given that these people are vampires a fair trial won't be either.

Before Quinn can come up and add his two sense to Victor's tale Felipe holds up his hand and demands silence. He steps down off of the dias where his throne sits and walks straight up to me. His face is like the arctic sea and I don't dare try to say anything.

"I warned you," He says softly. "I warned you what the penalty would be for toying with me." With that he hauls his arm back and back hands me acrross the face, sending me flying into the opposite wall and then crumpling to the floor. When I can open my eyes without feeling dizzy I find that Felipe has forced Eric down onto his knees and is holding a sword in his hand. He was just waiting for me to regain my wits so that I could see, as he promised, the moment he ends Eric's life.

Eric and I share one brief but meaningful look before he lowers his head and accepts his fate. I can hear myself crying and I know that in moments the man I could never stop loving will be nothing but a pile of flaking ash on floor. I feel my sanity starting to slip away from me, and just as I'm about to scream everything just stops.

Suddenly there is a giant commotion on the other side of the throne room doors and before any of us have the ability to prepare ourselves the doors come falling down and on top of them are Pam, Bill, and Rasul all baring swords and flanked by some very familiar wolves, were panthers, and one particularly welcomed lion. Before anyone can react, and proving that he must have expected it all along, Eric takes advantage of Felipe's distraction and shoves him into the wall with all of his strength knocking Felipe over and causing him to drop his sword.

Then all hell breaks loose. I'm tucked up against the corner of a wall still chained so all I can do is watch as Bill, Rasul, and all the weres charge Felipe, Victor, and their men. I see Quinn hurriedly phase and decide to go after Sam. Pam rushes through the mele faster than I can track her and when she appears in my vision again she's slicing through the chains holding Eric with what must be one very sharp sword. Once he's freed Eric takes a spare sword that Pam was concealing and goes after Victor. The two werewolves that had been fighting him step back knowing, even in their phased state, that this kill belongs to Eric.

I'm still a little dizzy and so I'm very, very suprised when Pam suddenly appears in front of me and again cuts the chains that are binding me. I look up at her and I can't believe she would ever help me but apparently Eric must have told her to just moments ago. She hands me a stake and I'm beginning to wonder where she is keeping all of these weapons when I see Felipe come up behind her.

"Pam watch out!" Pam turns around and deflty paries Felipe's swing and they begin to fight. I look over trying to find Eric and in a blinding flash I see him sever Victor's head from his body. In a fair fight Victor never had a chance. When I look back at Pam though things aren't going so well. Pam and Felipe are not more than a few paces from me and I can see that he has somehow seperated Pam from her weapon. Unarmed she ducks to avoid his swing and he kicks her square in the head knocking her to the floor. He's just about to bring his sword down on her head when I seem to regain my ability to react.

With all the spead a mere human can muster I run over to Felipe and without a second thought plant the stake firmly in his back, shove it through to the other side with all of my might, and watch him disintegrate into nothing.

With his death and Victor's the fighting in the room seems to stop. I can still hear that there is a commotion going on outside and I know later I'll be wanting answers as to how exactly all this just happened, but right now I'm just glad that the people in this room that I love, Eric, Pam, Bill, Sam, Alcide, and Calvin are all alive and relatively unharmed. Sam seems to have Quinn cornered and roars at him in open threat seeming to tell him to be still, and Alcide and two of his wears have Sandy on the floor and she appears to be missing both a leg and and arm when Eric holds up his sword.

"Your King is dead. I claim his throne as a right of conquest. All who wish to live will surrender there arms now." Out of nowhere I see Quinn, still in his tiger form gives a terrible sounding roar and pushes past Sam. He takes a running jump and I hear myself scream when I realize that he's going to land on Eric and rip his throat out. At this point however Eric shows what a thousand years of fighting skill coupled with vampire speed and agility gets you, and why I should always have trusted him. He barely even reacts, just turns slightly, takes a half step back, and holds up his sword. The end result is that when Quinn lands he is impaled solidly on Eric's blade. The two of them fall over but Quinn is already dead when they hit the ground. Eric pushes Quinn's dead, and now human, body off of him, stands as though nothing much has happened, and proceeds to pull his sword out of Quinn as though he's removing gum from his shoe.

Those of Victors vampires and the royal guards that are left drop their weapons and surrender without a second thought. Eric nods to Wallace and Bill and they leave to tell everyone else that Felipe is dead and the fight is over.

Pam takes a hold of what is left of Sandy and orders two more of Eric's vampires to lock her up.

Eric himself is across the room and at my side in a flash. Before I can say anything he grabs me up in the single most passionate, toe curling, desire inducing, panty drenching kiss that any two people have ever shared. When he releases my lips and sets me back on my feet he's wearing a truimphant grin.

"I take it you were expecting our guests?" It's not really a question and Eric just nods and looks me up and down, eyes filled with desire. I want to just throw him down and take him right here on the blood drenched marble floor, but instead I frown and state the very obvious thing that just sort of dawned on me. "Your King now." Eric's smile widdens just a tad and I hear him chuckle.

"For the next few hours anyway." Before I can ask him what he means by that Pam, Bill, Wallace, and Rasul are all back and Eric is rapping out orders on what to do next to Secure the Casino and make sure his coup isn't subject to a coup.

I tell Eric where I'll be and leave him to the important decisions to go back to my apartments, wash off the blood and ash, and change into something that isn't crusted in my dead husband.

A while later, after I've showered and changed the door to the royal apartments open. I run out of the bathroom expecting to see Eric but instead I find Pam.

"Eric asked me to come check on you." She says, her voice completely flat. I feel flustered for a moment not really knowing what to do.

"Listen Pam, I don't know what Eric has or hasn't told you but..." Pam stops me mid sentance by doing something I never in a million years would have anticipated. She comes up in front of me and wraps her arms tightly around me in a hug.

"Eric told me everything. I happy to know I wasn't wrong all those years ago when I called you my friend." I just smile and hug her back. Just then the door opens again and this time it is Eric.

"Ah I see his Majesty has arrived." Pam disengages from me and gives me a kiss on each cheek before turning to leave the room. On her way out she passes Eric and they clasp hands, smiling broadly at each other. Eric give's Pam's cheek a soft carress and she gives his hand a final squeeze and then she's gone.

Alone now, Eric and I walk towards each other as if pulled by some unseen force and when we close the distance between us he takes me in his arms and holds me tightly, kissing the top of my head and caressing my hair. I just stand there for a few minutes enjoying the feeling of being in his arms for the first time in ten long years. I disengage from him just slightly so that I can look up at him.

"Eric what on God's green earth just happened?" Eric laughs loud and long at that, and then plants a kiss on my nose before telling me the whole thing.

"As you surmised already I was prepared for tonight's attack. Even though Victor has not made a move against me since that night he had Bruno attack you and Pam I knew that was not the end of it. We vampires are very patient creatures after all. So over the years I have been steadily gathering forces, and with Rasul's help persuading the vampires that were formally loyal to Victor to change sides. The vampires that you saw with him tonight are the only ones that were still truly loyal to him. Well all accept one who contacted Rasul earlier this evening to tell him that Victor was ready to make his move. We've been expecting something to happen for the last several weeks now and so my forces and our allies were ready, though I didn't have the least idea that Madden's plan would include you. I didn't realize the full extent of his plans until I was captured, which is why I allowed myself to be taken. Rasul was apparently just minutes to late to get to us at your house but he made it here in good time. Though I would have preferred him to have been a tad bit earlier, I guess in terms of dramatic effect, I couldn't have asked for better." Eric smiles down at me deservedly proud of himself.

"And now you're King." I state it blandly. Eric just chuckles.

"For the moment." I frown at him.

"You said something to that effect before. What does that mean?" He takes my hand and leads me over to the couch, sitting me down and kneeling in front of me.

"It means that as the leader of this little coup I have the right to claim Felipe's throne, no one would despute that. And if need be I will do so, but to be honest I had intended to pass my claim to Pam." I give him a puzzled look.

"Why would you do that?" He laughs, carresses my cheek, and kisses me softly.

"I had hoped that, in light of the things you told me on the plane, you might want to get away from all of this politics, and intrigue, and vampire shit- as you used to call it, and come away with me to some place quiet. Some place were we might try and forget about the last ten years, and maybe attempt to regain that which has been taken from us." I hear him say the words but it's as though I can't processes it. I just can't believe it. I can't believe that after all the misery and all the heartache I've caused him he still wants me.

"Do you really still love me?" I ask, my heart nearly bursting. Eric just smiles at me, tender and sweet and looks deep into my eyes so that I can see the truth behind his words.

"With the entirety of my being. I have tried to hate you, and tried to replace you, but never, not for a single night of the last ten years have I not loved you." Eric looks as though he wants to say more, and I know that a big conversation about the tragic mess the last ten years have been and about trust and honesty is coming down the line, but for the moment he seems to decide to table it and instead pulls me to him, his mouth descending again on mine. I wrap my arms around him and allow myself to be carried away by the overwhelming emotions swirling within me. When we break the kiss I take his face in both of my hands.

"Then I'll follow you anywhere in the world!" With that I pull Eric's face to mine again, and we spend the remaining hours until dawn rediscovering each other, beginning to regain what seemed like it would be lost to us both forever.


End file.
